Northern Ireland political leaders clash in television debate prior to parliamentary elections
Northern Ireland party leaders clashed in just days from a new parliamentary election during the BBC’s debate prior to voting.
DUP leader challenged to say whether his party would form an executive or refuse to accept their salary if re-elected Jeffrey Donaldson Repeated his position that he would not form an executive until there were concerns related to Northern Ireland The protocol has been processed.
He said the political system “must be sustainable.”
Sinn Féin’s Vice President Michelle O’Neill said it would be “absolutely immeasurable” to tell voters that no new executives would be formed after the election.
She also has the Sinn Féin party Staumont For the first time you have the right to appoint the first minister.
Donaldson has not yet said whether to appoint a deputy prime minister to serve with the first Sinn Féin minister at the joint office.
Mr O’Neill accused the Democratic Unionist Party of “binding us all to ransom” for refusing to return to executives without acting under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
On Tuesday evening, before the polling day on Thursday, leaders of the five major Northern Ireland parties participated in a live debate in BBC One Northern Ireland.
SDLP reader Column Eastwood They can talk about the cost of living crisis and medical services, but said, “Without the government, we wouldn’t do anything about these issues.”
He said that the Government of Northern Ireland was the Government of the United Kingdom. European Commission No agreement has been reached on a protocol that is part of the EU-UK Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, which guarantees special post-Brexit trading conditions in Northern Ireland.
UUP leader Doug Beatty He said he wanted to see a program for the government agreed before a new executive was formed.
“If you first agree on a program for the government and what the budget will be as a result … I think it’s an important way for us to travel,” he said.
Alliance leader Naomi Long If she was returned from voters, she said she was in Staumont and ready to form an executive.
She urged the MLA to be “not locked out” and added that she did not want the “embarrassment” of being paid the full salary as an MLA when Congress was not fully functional.
Voters go to vote on Thursday and elect 90 MLAs in 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland.
Results are expected to be known from Friday after the ballot counting. – PA
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/northern-ireland-s-political-leaders-clash-in-tv-debate-ahead-of-assembly-elections-1.4868776?localLinksEnabled=false Northern Ireland political leaders clash in television debate prior to parliamentary elections
