The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon MP, has today met with the
leaders of Northern Ireland’s five main political parties;
Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Féin; Sir , DUP; , Alliance; , UUP; and , SDLP.
In all his meetings, the Secretary of State reiterated the need
to respect the electoral outcome of Thursday’s election and
restore the full functioning of the devolved institutions as soon
as possible - both the Executive and the Assembly.
All parties agreed on the importance of maintaining political
stability. The Secretary of State encouraged all party leaders to
come together to form an Executive as soon as possible, starting
with the nomination of an Assembly Speaker.
The Secretary of State acknowledged that the Northern Ireland
Protocol remains a clear barrier to political stability and
re-confirmed that the Government will do whatever it takes to
protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, in all of its
dimensions. He reiterated the Government’s desire to address the
outstanding issues by agreement with the EU, but confirmed that
the Government stood ready to take further steps to rectify those
issues, should that be necessary.
He noted that negotiations with the European Commission related
to the Protocol were the responsibility of the UK Government and
that they should not stand in the way of restoring the Stormont
institutions and enabling the Executive to deliver for all the
people of Northern Ireland.
He reiterated the importance of taking advantage of the new
provisions in the NI (Ministers, Elections and Petitions of
Concern) Act passed earlier this year to enable continuity in
decision-making during the Executive formation process. This will
ensure existing Northern Ireland ministers can remain in place to
oversee NI departments, allow legislation to progress and support
the delivery of vital public services.
Speaking after his meetings, the Secretary of State for Northern
Ireland, MP, said:
“Northern Ireland’s party leaders must come together to agree a
way forward to deliver a stable and accountable devolved
government.
“The UK Government’s overriding priority remains the preservation
of peace and stability in Northern Ireland and the protection of
the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its strands. The
current situation with the Protocol is fundamentally undermining
the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and creating an unacceptable
situation in Northern Ireland. We will continue to press the EU
to agree the crucial changes that are urgently needed but will
take nothing off the table in our pursuit of those solutions.
“As I conveyed to party leaders today, our collective focus must
be on the restoration of the Stormont institutions so that those
newly elected representatives can come together and deliver in
the best interests of all the people of Northern Ireland.
“I will remain in close contact with the party leaders over the
coming days.”
