Stormont Opposition Day: SDLP focuses on reforming institutions and public sector pay

Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole said the three motions brought by the SDLP were aimed at preventing future suspensions.

The first motion also called for an apology to public sector workers for years of suspension, and another for pay negotiations with public sector workers to be resolved quickly.

As the events began no Executive ministers were present, something Mr O’Toole described as an “insult to the chamber”.

Mr O’Toole told MLAs the levels of cynicism and mistrust about the institutions is “exactly why I asked the First and deputy First Ministers to pledge to not resign their office before the end of this mandate. That wasn’t a stunt. I was asking a question most of our citizens want to know the answer to.

“Our first motion today begins by expressing shame on behalf of this entire institution for its repeated collapses and the profoundly negative consequences they have had for ordinary citizens, workers and public services.

He said it wasn’t about “assigning blame” but “acknowledging a collective failure of the political class to deliver stable, sustainable government here.”

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley questioned whether the Opposition was being constructive and said the motion was actually about changing the Belfast Agreement, calling the SDLP “the party of super majorities rather than accommodation”.

The Upper Bann MLA described the various collapses of Stormont over the last 25 years as regrettable, but said “consensus politics will be the only way we can stave off instability.

“The political arrangements in Northern Ireland must be capable of commanding the broad support of all traditions across our province.

“The motion before the House simply implies that devolution could still operate and succeed outside these parameters. That is fanciful to say the least. Cross-community consent has been essential to achieving progress in this province and it should be viewed as the solution and not the problem.”

UUP leader Doug Beattie backed Stormont reform. He said: “Quick fixes will not work. You pull the threads and the whole thing could unravel so this is about sitting down and thinking this through in the long term and getting all the voices that need to be added to this,” he said.

“I’m up for that discussion. I don’t think we should be afraid of that discussion. It doesn’t mean that I am open to changing every single thing that needs to be changed within the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. It is still the bedrock of government here in Northern Ireland but I’m certainly up for that discussion going forward.”

Alliance supported the Opposition call for reform of the institutions – with Paula Bradshaw saying her party had supported reform for 20 years.

The South Belfast MLA said: “Parties are entitled to opt out of government, but they’re not entitled to force others to opt out too,” she said.

“What is required is recognition from all of us, including the proposers, that there were flaws in the original agreement, and that there was a review mechanism built into it. That was meant to iron these issues, but rarely actually did.

“We do need to remove crude sectarian vetoes, that is objectively undeniable, but we also need to ensure that the institutions operate in a way that is befitting of the entire society they’re supposed to represent.”