The Herald

Johnson to visit Northern Ireland as Brexit fuels crisis at Stormont

- By Tom Gordon Political Editor

BORIS JOHNSON is to visit Northern Ireland on Monday in an attempt to help address the political crisis driven by his unravellin­g Brexit deal.

The Prime Minister’s interventi­on was announced after the party that came second in the Assembly elections blocked the return of the legislatur­e.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) yesterday refused to nominate a speaker for Stormont until its demands for overhaulin­g post-brexit trading arrangemen­ts are met.

The DUP’S move effectivel­y means the Assembly is paralysed, unable to hold debates or committees, and unable to consider Private Member’s Bills or question ministers.

There can also be no election of a First Minister and deputy First Minister, although the DUP had already said it would block that by refusing to nominate a deputy.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he was sending a “clear message” to the UK Government and EU to get the Northern Ireland Protocol “sorted”.

Signed by Mr Johnson in 2019, the protocol effectivel­y puts a trade border down the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the latter is more closely aligned with the European Union single market for goods as part of the Brexit deal.

The DUP, which backed Brexit, complains the protocol undermines the Union and wants it scrapped.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss this week said that unless the EU changes the protocol over checks on goods from GB to NI she will have “no choice but to act” and potentiall­y dismantle it, which could spark a trade war with Brussels.

European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said there was a need for “honesty about what the UK signed up to” and “honesty about the fact that the EU cannot solve all the problems created by Brexit and the type of Brexit that the UK Government chose”.

However, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Ellis said the UK required “significan­t changes” to the protocol, and the current suggestion­s from Brussels “would take us backwards”.

The DUP went backwards in last week’s elections, winning 25 of the Assembly’s 90 seats to Sinn Fein’s 27, the first time the Nationalis­t party had won a Northern Ireland election.

The DUP, loath to have a Sinn Fein First Minister, is now digging in over the protocol before discussing a return to a power-sharing executive.

The MLAS (Members of the Legislativ­e Assembly) met for the first time in the Stormont chamber yesterday, signing the membership roll.

However the DUP’S blocking of a new Speaker put paid to other business.

Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’neill said the DUP had “punished the electorate” by blocking a Speaker and said “the public deserve better”.

Speaking in the Great Hall after the Assembly was adjourned, she said the DUP’S behaviour “isn’t tolerable, it isn’t acceptable, it isn’t good enough”.

She confirmed Mr Johnson would visit Northern Ireland on Monday.

Naomi Long, leader of the cross-community Alliance Party, added: “While this is a sad day for the people of Northern Ireland, it is a shameful day for the DUP. The day the DUP came to Stormont, signed the register, took their salaries but refused to take their seats and do the work to earn it.

“I don’t think that is ever acceptable but it is particular­ly unacceptab­le when people in our constituen­cies are struggling to feed their families, struggling to heat their homes, worried for their futures and it puts all of us as politician­s in a place which is embarrassi­ng once again.

“We want to serve the public but are prevented from doing so.”

Speaking shortly before the plenary session began, Sir Jeffrey said: “We have taken the decision not at this stage to support the election of a Speaker.

“We need to send a very clear message to the European Union and to our Government that we are serious about getting this protocol sorted out.

“The choice is clear: if the European Union is serious about protecting the political institutio­ns and the Belfast agreement, and its successor agreements then they know what to do. Equally, the same message is there for our own Government as well. The ball is firmly at the foot of the Government.”

In a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, SNP Finance Secretary Kate Forbes raised concerns about a possible trade war with Europe damaging Scotland’s £15billion-a-year food and drink industry. She said she was “deeply concerned” about UK threats to breach internatio­nal law, and “potentiall­y crippling tariffs”.

While this is a sad day for Northern Ireland, it is a shameful day for the DUP

 ?? Picture: Liam Mcburney/pa ?? Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’neill in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont yesterday
Picture: Liam Mcburney/pa Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’neill in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont yesterday

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