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The TUV leader Jim Allister has challenged Alex Maskey, the speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, over what he called EU “colonialism”.

Mr Allister was reacting to an open letter issued by Mr Maskey in which he notes that the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is coming up, but that the Assembly which it ushered into being “has not matched the high hopes that existed for it in 1998”.

Mr Maskey (who was elected as a Sinn Fein MLA but whose political affiliations are in abeyance while he holds the speaker’s chair) said that, as far as he was concerned, the devolved Assembly is “on probation”.

Reacting to his letter, Mr Allister said: “It is telling that in his latest political epistle the speaker with no mandate, while lamenting lack of local accountability and scrutiny of government actions, has not a word of rebuke for the Protocol situation whereby some transferred matters are now subject to foreign control and legislation.

"The European Parliament can now legislate on some NI devolved issues and the EU, through the Protocol, can impose their laws on NI, without a cheep from Mr Speaker!

"As guardian of Assembly rights one would have thought he would have an adverse view on such colonialism."

Mr Maskey’s letter says: “As we approach another deadline for the formation of an Executive, it remains the case that I will make arrangements for the Assembly to meet to elect my successor, and appoint ministers, as soon as it is clear that this can be achieved.

[The deadline to restore an Executive is January 19, or else the government must call an assembly election within 12 weeks.]

"It is not for me to comment on the issues behind the current impasse. Members come to the Assembly with their own views and the right to express those has to be respected.

“However, no-one should be surprised that the Speaker will always want to see the Assembly fully functioning at the earliest opportunity…

"Since the return of the Assembly in January 2020, I made clear on a number of occasions that the Assembly remained on probation and had much to do to build public confidence.

"Some three years on, that will now be an even bigger task. However, regardless of past disappointments, it remains imperative that we return to having a functioning Assembly."

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Allister slams EU 'colonialism' as Northern Ireland Assembly speaker Alex Maskey laments lack of devolution