Unionists, SDLP refuse to nominate deputy mayor

The Sinn Fein lord mayor of Belfast Alex Maskey will have to perform all civic duties on his own for the rest of his year of office after both unionists and the SDLP refused to nominate a deputy.

Belfast City Council voted last night to postpone the election of a deputy lord mayor until the council's annual general meeting in June when Mr Maskey is due to finish his term.

Normally, with a nationalist lord mayor, the deputy mayor's position would have been filled by a unionist, but both the DUP and Ulster Unionists have refused to nominate to the position in protest at Mr Maskey's election.

Former SDLP lord mayor, Alban Maginness, said before last night's meeting he thought the party should go for the deputy lord mayor-ship, but when it came to the meeting, the SDLP proposed to adjourn the election until the June meeting.