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DUP urges Northern Ireland secretary to impose budget May backs power-sharing model in Northern Ireland as deadline looms
(about 7 hours later)
The Democratic Unionist party, which props up Theresa May’s government, has urged the Northern Ireland secretary to impose a budget on the region. Theresa May has said she prefers the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland rather than direct rule from London as the deadline for a deal to break the political deadlock in the region approached.
The DUP’s suggestion indicates that the party sees little chance of an 11th-hour deal with Sinn Féin that would restore power-sharing government back to Belfast. The prime minister’s comments came as James Brokenshire, the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, came under pressure to impose a budget on the region and the British and Irish governments joined forces to urge a new deal between Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist party before Monday’s deadline.
James Brokenshire, the secretary of state, has warned that he would be forced to draw up a budget by the end of Monday to fund regional government departments in Northern Ireland. Otherwise the ministries could run out of money in the absence of a budget. Downing Street said there were still “significant gaps” between the two parties although they continued to engage with each other through the evening.
Now it appears that the DUP is backing his threat to reimpose a form of direct rule from London. A spokesman for May said the two governments would work with both parties to secure a deal that would bring back power-sharing government in Belfast.
In a statement, the party, whose MPs support the minority Conservative government, said: “Our position has not changed. We want to see an executive set up – we would have done it in March and sorted these issues in tandem. Progress would only be made towards a deal when Sinn Féin drops its ‘red-line demands’.” He said: “We are clear we don’t want to see a return to direct rule, we want a return of devolved government in Northern Ireland, so that local decisions can be made by local politicians.
The DUP statement continued: “Given Sinn Féin have dragged their feet over the last 10 months the secretary of state should bring forward a budget to bring a measure of good government to Northern Ireland.” “James Brokenshire has been clear that the latest we can practically introduce legislation to enable the executive’s formation would be this week in order for it to be in time for a new executive to set a budget.”
The spokesman said the Northern Ireland secretary would update parliament later in the week about the state of play.
Ireland’s foreign affairs minister, Simon Coveney, arrived in Belfast on Monday in a bid to help the parties reach a deal, saying on Twitter that it was an important day for Northern Ireland.
Back in Belfast - important day for NI - with political will and a willingness to work together on all sides there is a deal to be done
Earlier on Monday, the DUP, which props up May’s government, urged the Brokenshire to impose a budget on the region.
The DUP’s suggestion indicated that the party saw little chance of an 11th hour deal with Sinn Féin that would restore the power-sharing government.
Brokenshire had warned that he would be forced to draw up a budget by the end of Monday in order fund regional government departments in Northern Ireland. Otherwise, the local ministries could run out of money.
The DUP said: “Our position has not changed. We want to see an executive set up; we would have done it March and sorted these issues in tandem. Progress would only be made towards a deal when Sinn Féin drops its ’red-line demands’. Given Sinn Féin have dragged their feet over the last 10 months, the secretary of state should bring forward a budget to bring a measure of good government to Northern Ireland.”
The party added that it was still in favour of devolution for Northern Ireland if a deal could be reached.The party added that it was still in favour of devolution for Northern Ireland if a deal could be reached.
Sinn Féin said a deal could only be secured on the grounds of equality for all. The party’s key demand in the talks, which the DUP has resisted, is for the introduction of an Irish Language act. This would entail the Gaelic language having an equal status in law to English throughout Northern Ireland. Sinn Féin said a deal could only be secured on the grounds of equality for all. The party’s key demand in the talks, which the DUP has resisted, is for the introduction of an Irish language act. This would give the Gaelic language having an equal status in law to English throughout Northern Ireland.
Conor Murphy, a former Stormont minister, said any deal had to be for all and not just the political leadership of unionism. Former Stormont minister Conor Murphy said any deal had to be for all and not just the political leadership of unionism. He said: ”That requires an end to the DUP’s denial of rights citizens enjoy everywhere else on these islands: language rights, marriage rights and the right to a coroner’s court.”
He said: “That requires an end to the DUP’s denial of rights citizens enjoy everywhere else on these islands, language rights, marriage rights and the right to a coroner’s court.” The smaller nationalist party, the Social Democratic and Labour party, has called for joint authority over Northern Ireland by London and Dublin in the absence of a power-sharing administration. This is unlikely given the influence the DUP exercises at Westminster in holding the balance of power in the House of Commons.
The smaller nationalist party, the SDLP, has called for joint authority over Northern Ireland by London and Dublin in the absence of a power-sharing administration.
However, this is unlikely given the influence the DUP exercises at Westminster in holding the balance of power in the Commons.
The Ulster Unionist party’s Doug Beattie said that the region was, “regrettably, going towards direct rule, and that is a real shame because devolution is a real positive for Northern Ireland and we should try and make that work”.
Meanwhile, the cross-community Alliance party has put forward the idea of a “voluntary coalition” of parties rather than the mandatory power-sharing government dominated by Sinn Féin and the DUP.
The power-sharing executive in Belfast collapsed in January – initially over a row between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the latter’s support for a costly green-energy scheme.
Arlene Foster, then first minister and DUP leader, refused to step down temporarily from her post while an independent inquiry was held into the renewable heating initiative.
Her refusal to step aside prompted the deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, to resign from government, triggering the collapse of the executive. He died a few weeks later.
Since then, the main issue of contention between the DUP and Sinn Féin – the two largest parties in the assembly – has been on the latter’s demand for an Irish Language act.
In the absence of a cross-community government there has been no budget set down.