Alliance: End pantomime over leaders’ titles

Speaking at the launch of her party’s manifesto in east Belfast, Mrs Long said the title should be changed in order to underline that the two posts are “co-equal”.

She also called for reform of the Stormont institutions so that MLAs are no longer designated as unionist or nationalist.

The Alliance manifesto proposes a home-heating grant voucher scheme for low income households as well as a £20-per-week child payment scheme for families trapped in poverty during the cost-of-living crisis.

The party wants a new Executive to implement the Bengoa Review recommendations into Northern Ireland’s health service as well as calling for more integrated education and housing.

Mrs Long told party activists at the event that an Executive should be established after the vote on May 5 even though the DUP has said it will not go back into any new power-sharing coalition until the British government deals with the NI Protocol and restores Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.

The Alliance leader said it was a “shameful waste” that other parties are not committed to making the Assembly and Executive function at a time when people desperately needed leadership.

She continued: “Political instability and repeated collapse of the institutions have wasted time and energy away from what we should be concentrating on. Instead of fixing our health service, ensuring people can heat their homes and healing division, other parties have focused on political stunts, games and brinkmanship.”

On a possible end to the unionist-nationalist designation of MLAs, Mrs Long said:”Around 15% of MLAs currently are non-aligned in the Assembly, yet they still count for less in votes on key issues.

“I don’t believe that has ever been acceptable, but as that number grows it becomes less and less acceptable and more and more in need of reform.

“We are arguing very clearly now that we need to deal with the inequality at the heart of our Assembly.

“We cannot say that our community are all equal if within the heart of the institutions which govern this place there is inequality and disrespect for people’s rights. I believe that the days of designations are over.”

Alliance would respect the “democratic outcome of the election”, she added.