NI Assembly to reject Boris Johnson's Brexit legislation - Spads salaries reduced to £85,000

Ahead of an Assembly debate on the whether MLAs will give legislative consent to the deal to leave the EU, Ms O'Neill said: "I'm fairly confident the Assembly will reject giving consent to Brexit which we all, in the main and in the majority, voted against.

"We are very conscious of the fact and we have repeatedly stated this, that there is no good to come from Brexit - it brings nothing only jeopardy to our economy and to jobs, to future prospects and I think that will be reflected in the debate we will have in Assembly chamber today."

She added: "It's significant that this Assembly sends a very firm message again that we reject Brexit, that we follow after Scotland has rejected Brexit and I believe Wales will vote tomorrow to maybe also reject Brexit."

Ms O'Neill said Brexit had "irreversibly" changed the debate on a united Ireland.

The republican leader said the EU pledge that would see Northern Ireland regain EU membership in the event of unification was a key factor.

"That has changed the context of the conversation and I think there is a very positive conversation under way now which is irreversible, I think that's where the whole political debate is," she said.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the Government did not care about the people of Northern Ireland.

"It's important that this Assembly asserts its authority on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland," he said ahead of the debate.

"We have always said people here did not give consent for Brexit and it's important that this Assembly withholds consent for Brexit.

"We know this British Government will ignore us but when they are ignoring us they are ignoring the people of Northern Ireland, people of Scotland and the representatives of the people of Wales.

"That shows you what kind of government that is sitting now in London. They do not care about people here, they don't care about people in Scotland, and they are determined to go on with the madness that is this Brexit.

"Next week we will be dragged out of the European Union against our will, against the will of people here and people in Scotland. That's why it's important that we're here, that's why it's important that we're rejecting it."

Mr Eastwood said the UK was facing a cliff-edge at the end of the year, insisting it would be impossible to strike a trade deal with the EU before then.

"So we are faced with chaos at the beginning of 2021," he said.

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister failed in a bid to delay the Assembly debate on Brexit.

Mr Allister wanted proceedings put back for a week to give MLAs the chance to table amendments.

Despite the backing of the Ulster Unionists, Mr Allister's motion was voted down.

Special advisers at Stormont will face greater levels of accountability as well as a reduction in the maximum salary they can receive.

Finance Minister Conor Murphy has published an updated code for special advisers (Spads).

It comes after the inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme heard questions around how, during the last Assembly, some special advisers behaved and what influence they wielded.

The new code was agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive on Monday morning.

The updated code includes an £85,000 cap on the maximum salary a Spad can receive, a reduction from £91,809.

Spads will also have to declare details of gifts and hospitality and meetings with external organisations, must keep good records and use official email accounts and serve the Executive as a whole as well as their appointing minister.

Mr Murphy described Spads as "a critical part of the team supporting ministers".

"Special advisers should be subject to, and adhere to, the high standards expected of those in public life," he said.

"Given the public's legitimate concerns in this regard I have moved quickly to produce and agree strengthened rules.

"If public confidence in these institutions is to be rebuilt it is essential that these rules and the values that underpin them are put into practice."

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister expressed disappointment, saying Mr Murphy's statement on special advisers did not go far enough.

He has proposed a bill which seeks to reduce the maximum salary further to around £70,000 and cut the number of Spads in the Executive Office from eight to four.

"Much of the content of changes to the Code of Conduct I do not disagree with, but the fundamental point remains: for a Code of Conduct to be given bite it needs to be complemented by legislation underscoring its provisions and providing for enforcement," he said.

"I look forward to engagement on all these issues when my proposed Bill comes up for debate, but certainly nothing I see in Mr Murphy's statement dissipates the need for my bill."