Stormont reform tops Alliance Party's agenda as it pledges to 'lead change' in Northern Ireland

Naomi Long’s party says that the Good Friday Agreement institutions are “now holding back progress” and they want to “prevent any one party from holding them hostage ever again”.

The party says it is “committed to the principles and spirit” of the Good Friday Agreement, but believes its structures were meant to evolve.

It proposes new rules for selecting a first and deputy first minister – and introducing a ‘weighted majority’ for Assembly votes – which will change after each election to “ensure it includes unionists, nationalists and others”.

It does not specify whether a majority of each of these designations would need to be included – and the DUP would be concerned that such changes would effectively exclude the party as it often takes different stances on social issues from Alliance and nationalists.

Launching the manifesto, Naomi Long said the current system of government is “toxic”.

“The old saying is ‘turkeys don’t vote for Christmas’ … if you can influence that kind of power and control, it’s unlikely you’re going to put your hand up and say ‘yes, let’s give that away, let’s give that leverage away,” Ms Long told party supporters at the launch event on the outskirts of Belfast.

“But it’s incredibly toxic in terms of how we do business, that we still have that imbalance in terms of how we operate together. It doesn’t enhance our ability to co-operate and collaborate and doesn’t encourage people to come together to try and find shared solutions. It simply allows people to throw up roadblocks and I think it needs to change.”

She said the case for structural change was overwhelming.

“I don’t think we need to win the intellectual arguments anymore, what we’re looking for is some courage in terms of the parties in Dublin and London to show leadership to make this change happen, so people in Northern Ireland can have confidence in their political institutions and know that when they vote for somebody, there’ll be a government for them to go into”, she said.

Mrs Long also said there is a financial cost to the current arrangements. “We’re conscious of the cost of vetoes in government – of projects blocked and delayed because agreement can’t be found,” she said at the launch event in Carryduff.

“Those vetoes have held us back when there is a government – wasted time, wasted resources, wasted money”.

Alliance’s ‘Leading Change’ manifesto also prioritises securing a new financial deal for Northern Ireland, with an improved funding model for the allocation of Treasury resources to the region. It is also seeking a review of existing and potential revenue-raising levers for Stormont and consideration of the devolution of more tax-varying powers to the devolved administration – as well as calling for reform of government spending rules to free up funding to tackle climate change, a move the party says could facilitate a green new deal for Northern Ireland.