Alliance leader Naomi Long says winter election is inevitable if DUP continues to ‘dig in’

“If they continue to dig in then it is inevitable,” she said. “But I think the more important question is what purpose does that serve?”

She added: “We cannot keep running elections in Northern Ireland until the main parties are satisfied with the outcome.

“That isn’t democracy. We’ve got our answer from the public, the job of a politician post-election isn’t to demand another one, so they can get a better result – it is to work on the basis of the mandate they got to deliver as best they can for the public.”

The Alliance leader said she told Taoiseach Micheal Martin there was a need to reform the Stormont institutions, to end “ransom politics” and ensure devolved governance can no longer be blocked by one party.

“We are entering an unprecedented period of uncertainty, both in terms of how things are unfolding at Westminster and also the lack of any governance here,” she said.

“And I frankly think the people of Northern Ireland deserve better.

“We can’t fix everything that is wrong with our economy. We can’t control international markets but there are things as an executive that we can do to protect public finances, to protect public services, and to be able to help those in our community who need assistance.

“I think it is absolutely scandalous at a time when people are feeling real pressure on all of those fronts, that there are those within the elected cohort who just don’t want to do their jobs and are refusing to, but are also blocking those of us who are willing to do our jobs from being able to.”

She added said that while Alliance would not make structural reform a prerequisite for participating in any new executive, it would be an issue that would influence its considerations on whether to serve in any new Stormont administration.

“We can’t have a situation where we go back into government knowing that the rug can be pulled from under our feet at any time by either of the main parties,” she said.

“That is an unacceptable way to do business.”

She added: “We’re not making demands, we don’t do that, we haven’t made red line demands about whether or not we’ll go into government.

“But I can assure you it will be a factor in our consideration as to whether or not we go back into government whether or not those institutions and that government will be stable.”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he had had “useful, open” discussions with political parties in Northern Ireland.

Speaking in Belfast, Mr Martin said: “I am very clear in my view that the recent elections should be vindicated, should be realised in the form of the executive and the Assembly being restored."