Alliance proposes Stormont reforms to end veto on executive formation

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long (Liam McBurney/PA)

The Alliance Party is to propose a series of reforms to British and Irish governments that would end the ability of any Stormont party to veto the formation of an executive.

The paper being prepared by the cross-community party also outlines changes to voting systems within both the Assembly chamber and at the Executive table to ensure votes cast by MLAs who consider themselves neither unionist nor nationalist are given the same weight as others.

The 1998 Good Friday peace agreement saw the creation of a system that required the biggest political bloc of unionists to share power with the biggest bloc of nationalists in a mandatory coalition.

Currently, an administration cannot be formed unless the biggest unionist party and the biggest nationalist party agree to participate in it.

The DUP is currently blocking the formation of a ministerial executive in protest at Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol while in 2017 Sinn Féin pulled down the structures by quitting over a row about a botched green energy scheme.

The Alliance Party returned 17 MLAs in May’s election (Liam McBurney/PA)

Alliance, which more than doubled its representation at Stormont at the last election, wants to change this mandatory coalition system, thus removing the ability of any big party to prevent an executive being established.

Party leader Naomi Long said: “If the Government wants to take some legislation forward so that these institutions here can be restored and that they can do that on a stable footing, they should be looking to reform these institutions in legislation to ensure that no party can hold the institutions to ransom going forward.

“We believe it is crucial that these institutions are reformed. The public have had enough of stop-start government, they have had enough of the cycle of crisis and collapse, and we need to put paid to that by changing our institutions to make them fit for purpose.”

The Alliance leader said the proposals paper would be presented to the governments in London and Dublin and to opposition parties.

“We will be sharing that paper over the weekend and we believe that that legislation and that change should take place as soon as possible,” she added.

“It’s fairly clear that we shouldn’t be in a situation where if either of the two largest parties don’t want to govern together, we can’t have a government.

“Of course, they have an entitlement to be in government, what they don’t have is a right to prevent government being formed.

“So, if either of the two largest parties wish to step away from being in government and choose opposition, they should be free to do that and that’s what our proposals would allow.”

Alliance also wants to reform the community designation system at Stormont, which effectively hands blocs of unionists or nationalists a veto in contentious votes in both the Assembly and Executive.

It's fairly clear that we shouldn't be in a situation where if either of the two largest parties don’t want to govern together, we can't have a government

The controversial method means parties, such as Alliance, that designate as neither cannot influence votes where the results are determined by how many unionists and nationalists support or reject a proposal.

Alliance insists this system is no longer fit for purpose, as an increasing number of MLAs in the Assembly are designated as ‘others’ and are unable to have a say in contentious decisions.

It favours an alternative method whereby controversial votes require a weighted majority to pass.

“It (the paper) would correct the frankly outrageous imbalance which means that our votes count for less in so-called cross-community votes than everyone else in the Assembly chamber,” said Mrs Long.

“That inequality in our system cannot continue and so what we have proposed is that we will move towards weighted majority voting and away from parallel consent.

“That will ensure that there is both unionist and nationalist consent for proposals that are brought forward but, crucially, will reflect the fact that there are a number of us who are cross-community MLAs and who should be counted in those votes.”

Votes conducted on a cross-community basis can be called in the Assembly if 30 MLAs sign a procedural device called a ‘petition of concern’, while at the Executive a vote can be conducted on that basis if three ministers request it.

Alliance wants those thresholds raised.

Mrs Long said the party was not suggesting major structural changes.

“They’re very minor adjustments to the institutions, they don’t change the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement but what they do is make it workable in a new dispensation where Northern Ireland has changed and changed dramatically over the last 24 years but the institutions don’t recognise that change,” she said.

Mrs Long discussed the issue with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at Stormont on Friday.

Sir Keir said there was potential for things to “evolve” at Stormont but he said the immediate priority should be addressing the impasse over protocol.

“The Good Friday Agreement has stood the test of time, with the very many challenges in the intervening years since it was agreed,” he said

“Of course, things evolve, I understand that, but the immediate problems are with the protocol and talking to businesses here in Northern Ireland last night and in Dublin earlier in the week, what they want to see is the practical resolutions of the issues that they’re facing right here, right now and I think that’s where the focus needs to be.”