Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“Health cuts – despite a promised pot of money – and unaccountable drift under a Civil Service ‘cabinet’ bring into sharp focus that there is no room for game playing by the Secretary of State. It is disreputable and wrong to either use governmental paralysis as a lever to try and re-establish failed institutions or to put embarrassment over admitting failure of the rigged devolution project before bringing government to Northern Ireland.
“Mr Brokenshire needs to appoint Direct Rule ministers and legislate for a budget. Why postpone the inevitable, because the only losers are the ungoverned. Having long recognised that mandatory coalition would fail, I had previously proposed a workable system of legislative devolution, but others were too interested in playing government at Stormont. Now, they stand to lose it all. So be it, because bringing government to Northern Ireland is now the priority and Westminster seems the only viable source.”