Naomi Long backs challenge to authority of Stormont Speaker - saying Alliance MLA won't apologise over sexism row

Nuala McAllister challenged the deputy speaker Steve Aiken in the chamber on Tuesday, accusing him of sexism, and was asked to leave after refusing to apologise.

Speaker Edwin Poots later called on her to apologise for challenging the authority of the chair – but she refused.

Alliance has now doubled down on the challenge to the Speaker’s authority – with the leader saying that her deputy whip will not apologise.

Naomi Long told the BBC’s Nolan Show that Nuala McAllister was “quite right” to refuse to say sorry.

“She has discussed it with the Speaker. We respect the role of Speaker, but it is a two-way street. The Speaker has ultimate authority in the chamber, but that authority is vested in them because they have to behave impartially. They have to behave with respect to every member, and they have to demonstrate in discharging their duties that they do so with integrity”.

Asked by Mr Nolan if the deputy speaker had done that, Mrs Long said “Well I have said, he should reflect on his conduct”.

The Assembly has confirmed that Ms McAllister has been notified that she can return to the chamber on Monday, describing that as “a proportionate response”.

Under Assembly rules, the Speaker’s ruling is final and MLAs cannot challenge their authority. Mr Aiken, when not in the chair, has himself faced a rebuke for criticism of the principal deputy Speaker Carál Ní Chuilín, for which he apologised.

During a debate between Education Minister Paul Givan and Michelle Guy on Monday, the DUP minister accused his Alliance counterpart of having “played the victimhood card”.

Ms McAllister then accused the minister of making “misogynistic comments” – which he denied.

Later, Ms McAllister rose to make a point of order to the deputy speaker, saying she wanted to highlight that she had asked the minister “a rather straightforward question” – and claiming that she had been patronised.

The deputy speaker asked Ms McAllister to retake her seat, and said she had “the opportunity to apologise for making that statement right now, because I believe that it was directed at me”.

He added: “There was no patronising. I was waiting for the Minister to finish, in accordance with what he is supposed to do. Would you care to make an apology, Member?” Ms McAllister responded saying, “no”, and was asked to either apologise or remove herself from the chamber.

A spokesperson for the Assembly said: “The core principle of Assembly Standing Orders, that the authority of the Chair must be upheld and that the Chair’s ruling is final, is something the Speaker takes seriously.

“The Speaker outlined in the Chamber on Tuesday that there is a precedent for dealing with an ill-tempered exchange with the occupant of the Chair and a challenge to the Chair’s authority.

“In a previous instance, the Speaker gave an opportunity for the Members involved to acknowledge that the situation should not have happened and for an apology to be made. In that case, the Speaker made clear that in the absence of an apology, the Members would be restricted in taking part in Assembly business for a period.

“The Speaker made clear in the Assembly on Tuesday afternoon that he was content to follow the same precedent in relation to the exchanges with Deputy Speaker Aiken. Nuala McAllister indicated to the Speaker that she would not apologise and she was therefore informed that she could not return to the Chamber to speak or vote in business yesterday.

“However, she has been notified that she can return to business in the Chamber on Monday and the Speaker is content that this is a proportionate response.”

Alliance MLAs have previously challenged the Speaker to intervene on their behalf on during debates, citing Assembly rules.

Mrs Long has previously claimed that Stormont’s rules mean MLAs are “not allowed to ask a minister for an opinion”, when she was challenged for her view on a PSNI policy.

Deputy leader Eóin Tennyson has asked the Speaker to rule on whether it was in order for an opponent to say they were part of the “nationalist republican Alliance” – as they were about to vote with nationalists and republicans on the Protocol.