Any restored Assembly needs serious reform to make it deliver fully for the people of Northern Ireland, Alliance Leader Naomi Long MLA has said. Mrs Long said while the key issues of difference between the parties remained, she believed progress could and should still be made on other issues to prepare for any future return […]
Alliance Leader Naomi Long MLA has said it is time for the Secretary of State to stop creating new barriers to the restoration of devolution and convene all-party talks with an independent facilitator immediately. Mrs Long was speaking following a meeting with Karen Bradley, in which the Secretary of State briefed Alliance and other parties […]
Alliance Leader Naomi Long MLA has said legislation giving civil servants enhanced powers to take decisions is only “a sticking plaster on a broken leg”.Mrs Long was speaking after Karen Bradley brought the Bill to Westminster which lets civil servants act in a Minister’s absence if they are satisfied the decisions are in the ‘public […]
Alliance Leader Naomi Long has said DUP Leader Arlene Foster is living in a dream world if she genuinely still believes Northern Ireland’s growing political problems can be solved without the aid of an outside mediator. Mrs Long was responding to comments made by the DUP Leader following her meeting with the Secretary of State […]
An Alliance Party delegation today met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley, and stressed the need to end the drift around talks but to make changes to improve the prospect of progress. Stephen Farry said: “An Alliance delegation had a frank meeting with the Secretary of State. Northern Ireland is […]
Alliance Leader Naomi Long has said the success of the Secretary of State’s latest plan for Northern Ireland will be seen through the actions of all involved in coming weeks, and added the interventions were “long overdue”. Speaking after Karen Bradley revealed her plan in the House of Commons – which included interim decision making […]
Alliance Leader Naomi Long MLA has called for a meeting of all party leaders in the Assembly, to agree a timetable for talks aimed at restoring powersharing. Mrs Long – who wrote to other party leaders last week – said she was still hopeful the planned meeting for September 3 would go ahead, despite the […]
Alliance Party Deputy Leader, Stephen Farry, has responded to the poor prospects for successful inter-party talks in the autumn, again stressing what is at stake for Northern Ireland and reiterating his party’s call for the two Governments to urgently appoint an independent talks facilitator. Stephen Farry said: “Alliance is up for fresh talks, anytime, anywhere. […]
Alliance Councillor Kate Nicholl has said the lack of an Executive means Northern Ireland may get left further behind on tackling climate change. Councillor Nicholl was speaking after the Westminster Environmental Audit Committee released a report saying Britain will suffer 7,000 heat-related deaths every year by 2050 if the UK Government does not take decisive […]
Alliance Leader Naomi Long MLA has welcomed the first British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference in over a decade but said its key challenge is helping restart talks to restore devolution here. Mrs Long was speaking after the meeting, between Ministers from both Governments, took place in London. It discussed legacy, security co-operation, east-west relations and political stability […]