DUP MP Ian Paisley accused by SDLP's Claire Hanna of 'exercise in trolling' with border poll super-majority Bill

South Belfast MP Claire Hanna was speaking after DUP MP Ian Paisley’s campaigning at Westminster about the need for a ‘supermajority’ for any further constitutional referendum.

Ms Hanna said the move was a stunt designed to distract from the mess the DUP have created, and that all votes remain equal.

“This is essentially an exercise in trolling from an MP who has decided against being a serious political actor," she said.

"The Good Friday Agreement is clear, including the principles of consent, of parity of esteem and on the agreed mechanism for any future change in the constitutional status."

She continued: “The SDLP is dedicated to the creation of a new Ireland, through planning and by consent and as a decision for the people in all their diversity. We aim for the highest possible endorsement and support for a new Ireland but remind the proposer of this stunt that all votes are equal.”Meanwhile, the former UUP leader Lord Empey has welcomed further confirmation from the Northern Ireland Office that there will be no move to ‘joint authority’ in the absence of a return to power-sharing at Stormont.

Lord Empey had written to the Northern Ireland Office Minister Lord Caine seeking clarity on the subject, following speculation from some quarters that the government might consider some form of shared authority with the Republic of Ireland over Northern Ireland if the power-sharing impasse continues.

In his reply, Lord Caine said: “Joint authority is not and will not be considered by this Government. As we set out clearly in our Northern Ireland manifesto at the 2019 General Election, the consent principle in the 1998 Belfast Agreement governs the constitutional position of Northern Ireland.”

Responding to the answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Lord Empey said: “The UUP welcomes this answer and the clarity it provides and trusts that this will put an end to talk of Joint Authority, which is as unhelpful as it is unwelcome.”