Statement by TUV Comber Councillor Stephen Cooper:
“The statement by the Secretary of State again highlighted the weakness of the DUP’s current position as she ruled out suspending Stormont.
“We were told that the Democratic Unionists would table a motion to exclude Sinn Fein/IRA.
“No such motion was even tabled.
“We were told that the DUP would push to have the Assembly suspended so that they could engage with talks with those who remain, in the words of Arlene Foster, ‘inextricably linked to the IRA.’
“The Secretary of State has now ruled out any such suspension.
“Yesterday we had the first stage of the new “graduated response” with the DUP boldly declaring that the executive – which hasn’t been doing anything anyway – will no longer meet for a while.
“Today Nigel Dodds pointed out in the Commons that no party linked to murder would be acceptable in the Westminster government. In that he is correct. Yet, bizarrely, it is his own party which sustains Sinn Fein/IRA in the government of this part of the United Kingdom!
“Northern Ireland doesn’t need a new round of talks centred around the dysfunctional administration which was described as ‘not fit for purpose’ by the DUP leader.
“The public are sick to the back teeth of the never ending cycle of crises. We need to face up to the fact and recognise that the system has failed and it is high time we move on and establish a firm, workable foundation for governance and embrace a truly democratic future with a Stormont capable of delivering for both Unionists and Nationalists, and the betterment of Northern Ireland.”