Editorial: ​Stormont fails to provide scrutiny of justice minister Naomi Long on PSNI messages saga

​The fact that politicians had no chance to discuss the Ulster Unionist Party’s claim that Stormont’s justice minister politically interfered in police matters is surprising, to say the least. Details of messages between Naomi Long and the PSNI deputy chief constable were published in the News Letter on Saturday, after being uncovered by the UUP.

The party accused the Alliance minister of an “attempt to influence" the police over a press release from her political rivals – Mrs Long denied that, saying she “merely brought the matter to their attention”.

Something which would, you might imagine, be worthy of an urgent oral question to the minister when she faced MLAs on Monday – but the Speaker’s office did not select it. Nor did it select a matter of the day on the issue.

Instead, UUP MLA Doug Beattie approached the issue in a members’ statement. While it is the best he could do in the circumstances, it is far from ideal – and prevented any opportunity for Mrs Long to face questions and outline her own position.

The day had begun with the minister speaking to the BBC about a campaign her department is running on myths surrounding sexual violence. While she also took questions on MLA pay, she wasn’t even asked about the UUP claim she had inappropriately sought to influence a senior officer on such a trivial matter as the use of a logo on a press release.

In any normal democracy, it would be an issue that a minister would, at the very least, be asked about.

For Stormont not to find a way to facilitate any discussion on the matter is extraordinary. Particularly when the Speaker has been keen for issues to be discussed first in the Assembly, and not in the media. That is not to say that the issues selected were not important, but Mrs Long should have faced questions and had the opportunity to defend herself.