Clare Bailey: We already know the public view on abortion law and gay marriage

It would have been much more helpful if the Labour Party had asked campaigners on the ground what they would like to see happen.

Existing opinion polls already show consistent overwhelming majority support for change on both issues.

We do not need a referendum to tell us what we already know.

The rest of the United Kingdom did not need to have a referendum for either issue so why does the Labour Party insist on treating us differently?

Human rights compliant legislation is not a matter for public opinion.

There is a legal onus on the UK government to ensure that all regions of the UK are human rights compliant and up until now, they have failed to do so in Northern Ireland.

There is no constitutional requirement for a referendum under UK law – unlike Irish law where it is a requirement for constitutional change – so it is nonsensical to put human rights up for public debate.

It is a waste of time and money.

If Northern Ireland goes into direct rule, there is no reason why Westminster cannot legislate to bring Northern Ireland’s laws into line with the rest of the UK.

Clare Bailey, Green Party MLA, South Belfast