Stormont: Alliance Party launches plans to reform Northern Ireland's political institutions
They say these are designed to prevent potential future collapse of the Assembly
The Alliance Party has launched a major reform proposal aimed at overhauling how Northern Ireland’s political institutions operate, including measures designed to stop future collapses of Stormont and increase transparency around political donations.
The party’s new 'Democratic Renewal' paper proposes a series of changes which it says would modernise devolved government and make it more accountable.
Among the proposals are plans to remove the ability of a single party to collapse the Assembly, ensure all MLAs’ votes carry equal weight, introduce “Joint First Ministers” and place limits on political donations.
Alliance Deputy Leader Eoin Tennyson told Chief Reporter James Gould the reforms are aimed at tackling what he described as dysfunction within the current political system.
The paper also proposes measures to stop blockages within the Executive and increase ministerial accountability.
Mr Tennyson said Secretary of State Hilary Benn had made clear the issue of Stormont reform would be discussed during the next round of political talks.
Alliance Leader Naomi Long said the current system has failed to deliver stable government for people in Northern Ireland.
“A generation ago, the people of Northern Ireland were promised government which could deliver for everyone in our society,” she said.
“But the years since have seen other parties reduce that ambition to a system burdened with delay and dysfunction rather than delivery and change.”
She claimed the Executive has been in a state of collapse for “nearly half its lifetime” and criticised what she described as a lack of transparency around political donations and “shadowy international influences”.
“In short, many people are understandably disillusioned with politics, a frustration shared by Alliance,” she added.
“We need democratic renewal and these proposals are Alliance’s plan to do just that.
“Democracy should be about delivery for ordinary people, not billionaires with agendas or parties obsessed with causing dysfunction.”
The proposals include:
Removing the ability for one party to bring down Stormont
Introducing “Joint First Ministers”
Ensuring all parties’ votes count equally
Stopping Executive deadlock and blockages
Increasing ministerial accountability
Capping and increasing transparency around political donations
When asked whether the reforms would disproportionately benefit Alliance politically, Mr Tennyson rejected the suggestion and said all of the proposals were compatible with the Good Friday Agreement.
He said the reforms were designed to improve governance rather than benefit any single party.
The launch of the Democratic Renewal paper comes amid growing debate over the long-term stability of Stormont following repeated collapses of devolved government in recent years.