North’s leaders clash over border poll in TV debate
NORTHERN Ireland’s political leaders have clashed over the potential for a border poll, post-Brexit trading arrangements and the cost-ofliving crisis during a televised preelection debate.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson, Sinn Féin vice-president Michelle O’Neill, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie took part in the UTV election debate ahead of Thursday’s Assembly poll.
Ms O’Neill was asked about a report in The Sunday Times stating that Sinn Féin chairman Declan Kearney had made contact with Saoradh, a group accused of having links to the New IRA, about a potential ‘co-operation agreement’ over achieving a border poll.
The New IRA is the dissident republican group linked to the murder of journalist Lyra McKee, who died after being struck by a bullet during rioting in Derry in 2019.
Ms O’Neill said: ‘No gang who is involved in criminality, armed action, should exist today. Declan Kearney, as the chairperson of our party, has reached out to those people to say that they must now work towards unity and changing the constitutional position, but only by consent, only by the public working together.’
Mr Donaldson said Sinn Féin had tried to hide the fact that ‘their number-one priority is to push for a border poll’.
Mr Eastwood said more focus should be placed on the cost of living, while Ms Long said the Assembly election was not a referendum on the border question.
On the DUP decision to collapse the
Executive in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol, Mr Donaldson said: ‘No unionist supports this protocol and we need to get back to the politics of consensus.’
Ms Long responded: ‘We can’t stop having government simply because people don’t like particular aspects of politics.’
Mr Eastwood said the DUP decision to walk away from the Executive meant that £300million of Stormont funds cannot be spent.
Mr Donaldson responded: ‘There is an Executive.
‘There are ministers in place. The Executive simply isn’t meeting.’
Ms O’Neill accused the DUP leader of being ‘absolutely dishonest’.