Johnson priority placating the DUP: McDonald

Mary Lou McDonald described a “fairly tough” meeting with the prime minister, as the impasse over the formation of the Executive continues.

Speaking after the meeting at Hillsborough Castle, Ms McDonald said it appears the UK government’s priority is “placating the DUP”.

“It’s very clear to us that despite all of the rhetoric from the British government about re-establishing the Executive here in the north, that in fact their priority is placating the DUP,” she said.

“We’ve had what we would describe as a fairly tough meeting with the prime minister.

“We have put it to him very directly that the absolute priority is getting government working here in the north.”

She continued: “We have said directly to him that proposed unilateral act of legislating at Westminster is wrong.

“It seems to us absolutely extraordinary that the British government would propose to legislate to break the law.

“It’s an extraordinary proposal and one that would amplify the bad faith with which the Tory government has conducted itself from the beginning of the entire Brexit debacle.

“I’m sorry to report that we’ve had no straight answers really from the British prime minister except a confirmation of what we already knew, which is that in fact this impasse is entirely coordinated between themselves and the DUP, and if the DUP are acting shamefully in holding back government, well then the British government is behaving even more shamefully.”

Sinn Fein, which is now entitled to the first minister’s role, has accused the DUP of holding the people of Northern Ireland to ransom by not allowing Stormont to function in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

Mr Johnson was booed and jeered by around 200 people who gathered at the gates of Hillsborough Castle as his cavalcade drove in.