Ulster Unionist peer, Lord Empey, has warned that the DUP and Sinn Fein are in danger of running the Executive into the ground again.

Lord Empey said:

“After a most unedifying week at Stormont, when all the worst in local politics was on display, a new element was injected into the Executive saga, with the threatened departure of the Justice Minister.

“While this threat may have receded, the warning signals are flashing. Four years ago, similar debilitating arguments were on display over the RHI crisis and yet nothing was done to stabilise the Executive and it suffered an avoidable collapse leading Northern Ireland into a political wilderness during the crucial Brexit negotiating process. We all are paying a heavy price for that now.

“Public confidence in politics has taken a huge knock this week, but neither the DUP or Sinn Fein seem to care. We all know how Sinn Fein behave; they will seize any opportunity to put unionism into a difficulty, but sadly the DUP have, yet again, allowed them to get away with it.

“Using the cross-community vote mechanism in the middle of a health crisis was a mistake; to use it twice was reckless. Perhaps the DUP think that they can be seen to be the Party that is business friendly, but having an Executive that is all over the place merely convinces business that Stormont is a shambles.'

“In the middle of all of this is the Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA. He is a beacon of stability and sure-footedness, getting on with his job of trying to keep us all safe while the arm wrestling between Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill continues in public.

“If a worldwide pandemic cannot get the Executive to work together, people are asking what will?

“Having presided over one collapsed administration, Arlene better take care she doesn't let history repeat itself.”