Stormont Assembly set for Saturday sitting as DUP end boycott

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he had written to the outgoing Speaker of the Stormont Assembly Alex Maskey following the passage of legislation in the Commons linked to the Government's Safeguarding The Union deal.

He said the there now "exists a basis upon which the Northern Ireland Assembly can meet to elect a speaker, and fill the offices of first and deputy first ministers and executive ministers".

Sir Jeffrey added: "I expect the Assembly will meet on Saturday following the Speaker consulting and making all necessary arrangements. It is my intention to meet with the leaders of the other executive parties during the course of Friday to finalise arrangements on the key issues that will be tackled by the incoming Executive.

"Following the completion of detailed internal party processes with my Party Officers, all our elected members and DUP Peers in the Lords, as well as the Government having taken the legislative steps required of it, we are now able to re-establish the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive.

"We do so confidently as we look forward to continuing to work on all the issues that matter to people in Northern Ireland and to use all the new structures to shape the future, confident in the knowledge that much has been achieved."

Lord Caine has told Parliament that there is "absolutely no diminution" in Northern Ireland's place within the UK.

He said: "There is absolutely nothing in this deal that prevents the United Kingdom from diverging from European rules and European law should ministers believe that is in the interests of the United kingdom. Fundamentally that will be a matter for the sovereign Parliament.

"There's absolutely no diminution in Northern Ireland's position within the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is a full integral part of the United Kingdom internal market."

While welcoming the ending of the deadlock, former Northern Ireland secretary Lord Reid of Cardowan warned of "further huge bumps on the road".

He said: "It's been a frustrating two years but I think it would be churlish for anyone not to say well done, particularly to the minister and his colleagues and above all to Jeffrey Donaldson. He has served his country well, in and out of uniform, unlike some of his extremist critics.

"I wish the assembly well when it's up but I am not naive enough to believe that there will not be further huge bumps on the road."

He added: "It is an unfortunate reality that the present construction lends it open to a number of parties, including the British Government, to suspend the assembly. So I think it is wise for the minister to agree that the mechanics needs looked at again but even wiser to recognise that it has to be done with great caution and it has to be led by the parties in Northern Ireland themselves."

"In the meantime, Can I ask the minister that he would ensure the most expeditious passage not only of the legislation but of the practical, operational implementation of the agreement, because it is precisely the proof of the pudding being in the eating that will give some form of problem arising in the immediate future."

Lord Caine said: "We should be cautious in our approach to reform. Sensible, practical reforms ought to be considered where consistent with the agreement, but the conversation should primarily be led by the parties in the executive and the assembly. The history of trying to impose reforms and solution on Northern Ireland without the consent of the people is not necessarily a happy one."