Northern Ireland parties react as Liz Truss to be new Prime Minister

Northern Ireland's political parties have called on new Conservative party leader and prime minister in waiting Liz Truss to restore power sharing and resolve the issues around the protocol.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill said the new PM needs to prioritise the restoration of devolution at Stormont.

"Liz Truss has an opportunity to come in now and stop pandering to the DUP, stop pandering to the approach which is damaging to our ability to help people through the cost-of-living crisis," she said.

Ms O'Neill also called for a "change of tack, change of policy and change of approach" on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

"Even at this late stage Liz Truss has an opportunity when she comes in to her new post to actually work with the EU, work with the Irish government, find ways to reset relationships and find ways to make the protocol work because we all know there are solutions there, that are on the table," the Sinn Féin MLA added.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he has already written to the new Prime Minister to outline what his party believes to be the main priorities.

"Chief among those is taking forward the bill which will provide a basis for a solution to deal with the protocol, to remove the barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, to fully restore Northern Ireland's place within the UK internal market," he said.

"In tackling the cost of living, the Prime Minister must continue to tackle the consequences of the Protocol because we want to see that dealt with decisively."

Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long said Liz Truss "has a window of opportunity to put her stamp on the position" of prime minister.

She continued: "As such, she can make a positive impact on Northern Ireland by engaging in sensible discussions with the EU around the Protocol, and pursuing reforms to the Assembly and Executive in order to secure their return and future proof both.

"That requires constructive leadership from Ms Truss.

“Alliance will be seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss our proposals around reform of the institutions and to seek assurances she will be looking to govern in the interests of everyone in Northern Ireland.”

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Doug Beattie urged Liz Truss to focus on "repairing relationships" between the UK and Ireland and across Europe.

He added: "She has to put time, effort and energy into Northern Ireland, which has been neglected.

"They need to find solutions and those solutions must help get our executive back up and running again because every day without an executive our people are suffering."

SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood says there will be "no honeymoon period" for Liz Truss.

"Liz Truss must act immediately to address the cost of living crisis by freezing energy bills and introducing new direct support schemes for those with oil central heating or prepay meters," he added.

"This should be funded through an extension of windfall taxes on energy companies making obscene and immoral profits as a result of this crisis.

“This must also be a moment for a change in policy toward Northern Ireland. The age of Prime Ministers dancing to the tune of the DUP must now be over."

TUV Leader Jim Allister said Ms Truss needed to scrap the "obnoxious and iniquitous" Northern Ireland Protocol.

He added: "First and foremost the challenge for the prime minister is to take back sovereignty over this United Kingdom and to end the ill-gotten sovereignty of the EU and restore Northern Ireland as a full and complete part of the United Kingdom."

Meanwhile Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts called on the new prime minister to bring forward measures to help small businesses.

“She must hit the ground running with a big bold plan for our economy and follow through on her promise to reverse the National Insurance hike," he said.

“The cost of doing business crisis is threatening jobs and businesses across every sector of our economy. Businesses are facing a perfect storm of cost increases including Energy, National Insurance, Inflation, Covid-19 Recovery, and rising Interest rates."

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