The undermining of Stormont’s mutual veto is future threat to unionism

The mutual veto is one central component to the system of government we have in Northern Ireland – known as consociationalism, a form of power sharing.

Its removal or ‘watering down’ poses a huge threat to unionism in the future.

We first saw the mutual veto being cast aside under Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement, whereby the NI Assembly is to vote on whether to remain under European Union trade regulations through the consent of the majority, as opposed to a cross-community vote.

A further threat is posed in the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ agreement with changes to the petition of concern.

The new agreement, however, revises and weakens mutual veto by in effect increasing the threshold for a petition of concern, prohibiting a minister from signing a petition of concern, as well as the speaker and/or deputy speakers.

A petition of concern will now trigger a 14-day ‘consideration’ period, whereby its merits are assessed and if deemed appropriate a cross-community vote is triggered on the matter in question.

This appears to go along the lines of the ‘call in’ procedure in force in local government, whereby the merits of the particular issue are assessed against equality law.

The mutual veto allows minorities to protect their own segmental interests.

These changes hinder its function and purpose.

Dr Andrew Charles, Belfast BT9