Allardice asked to sit on Independent Monitoring Commission

John Allardice, the speaker of the suspended Northern Assembly, has been asked to sit on the proposed four-man body being established to monitor paramilitary ceasefires in the North.

Mr Allardice, an outspoken critic of paramilitary violence, is also a former leader of the middle-of-the-road Alliance Party.

The proposed Independent Monitoring Commission is being established following unionist demands for Sinn Féin to be expelled from power in the North due to alleged breaches of the IRA’s seven-year ceasefire.

However, unionist hardliners have already expressed their opposition to the four-man commission as it would contain one person nominated by the Irish Government.

The other three members would be appointed by the Northern Assembly and the British and US governments.