Allister: MLAs will not face reality of protocol

“That very straightforward reason is the protocol,” he added.

He said too many MLAs did not want to face “reality” that the protocol was incompatible with Northern Ireland’s constitutional position as an “integral part of the United Kingdom”.

Other than nominating their colleague Mike Nesbitt as a potential speaker, no UUP MLAs participated in the debate.

Ahead of the sitting, Mr Nesbitt said he did not believe the recall would achieve anything while there are still outstanding differences over the protocol.

“It’s not going to go anywhere. Everybody knows it’s not going to go anywhere. So we question the point of doing this,” he said.

“I think what would be better than a show, a public show in that chamber, is party leaders getting together quietly, privately, and trying to resolve the differences.”

During the 90 minutes in the Assembly yesterday, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole, the leader of the official opposition at Stormont, said it was “preposterous” that the DUP was waiting for the Conservative leadership contest to play out.

“The cost-of-living crisis has got worse since the last time we met, inflation is now at nearly double digits … we know that there are projections out there that it could be £500 a month in energy costs for families. This is unprecedented in the lifetimes of many people,” he said.

“Are the DUP seriously saying we don’t need a government, that hundreds of millions of pounds can sit unspent at Stormont when people go without support while that cost-of-living crisis bites? I think that is frankly unconscionable.”

Northern Ireland Secretary Shailesh Vara expressed disappointment on Twitter that the Assembly had failed to elect a speaker.

Mr Vara tweeted: “People expect and deserve the Executive to be formed as soon as possible to address issues affecting everyone in Northern Ireland, including the rising cost of living.”

Meanwhile, Alliance leader Naomi Long said a courts backlog caused by the Covid pandemic cannot be cleared without extra resources but these were not available while the Stormont Executive is not up and running.

Mrs Long, the justice minister in the last power-sharing coalition, told BBC News that she cannot bring in changes to speed up the judicial process without legislation being passed at Stormont.