Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DEPUTY QUITS AS STALEMATE RUMBLES ON..
» Beggs leaves post » Assembly in limbo
A FORMER UUP MLA has quit as the Assembly’s deputy speaker amid the ongoing stalemate at Stormont.
Roy Beggs, who lost his seat in East Antrim in the election, said he has tendered his resignation “with immediate effect”.
Under Assembly rules, the outgoing speaker and deputy speakers can retain their roles until successors are appointed.
The speaker role attracts an annual salary of £89,500 while deputy speakers receive a wage of £57,500.
But the DUP has blocked the appointment of new speakers to allow the Assembly to start functioning again in protest over Brexit’s Protocol.
A second attempt by MLAS to restore Stormont on Monday failed after the Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s party again vetoed the election of a new speaker to chair meetings. The sitting, which followed a recall petition brought by Sinn Fein, was then suspended as further Assembly business cannot be conducted without a new speaker. In a statement Mr Beggs said: “Under the 2016 Determination, the outgoing speaker and deputy speakers remain in post until the election of new members after an election. Given the failure of the new
Assembly to elect a new speaker and deputy speakers, I have tendered my resignation with immediate effect.”
Meanwhile the SDLP’S Dolores Kelly, who lost her MLA seat in Upper Bann, is still listed as a member of the Assembly Commission – a body which handles the running of Parliament Buildings.
Members of the commission earn an annual salary of £57,500. No new appointments can be made to the cross-party panel in the absence of a functioning Assembly, officials say.
The SDLP has been asked whether Ms Kelly intends to retain her post.
There were heated exchanges as MLAS clashed in the chamber on Monday over the DUP refusing to elect a new speaker.
Outgoing speaker Alex Maskey, who did not seek re-election in May, chaired the first attempt to appoint his successor earlier in the month.
The ex-sinn Fein MLA was absent on Monday and proceedings were chaired by an acting speaker, which under the rules must be the oldest MLA – Alan Chambers of the UUP.