The Lagan Valley MLA was speaking after Baroness Foster was questioned by the Assembly Executive Review Committee, which is carrying out an inquiry into the need for institutional reform here.

 

Ms Guy said the findings of the Covid Inquiry alone were reason enough to reform the mechanisms here.

 

“Alliance has led the campaign calling for reform of our institutions, putting it on the agenda and achieving the backing of the majority of the Assembly late last year for a motion calling for reform in the wake of the Covid Inquiry, which outlined dysfunction at the heart of the Executive between the DUP and Sinn Féin,” she said.

 

“It was useful to hear from both Baroness Foster and Mark Durkan today, particularly given the former’s party was behind the most recent collapse of the Executive, and the recent Covid inquiry findings, which laid bare the sheer scale of the dysfunction.

 

“Despite the rest of the globe coming together during the pandemic, we still managed to see the same old orange and green fighting and subsequent deadlock here in the Executive due to abuse of cross-community voting. Most likely, some people who are not alive today passed away because of the abuse of the mechanisms in place. That alone should be enough to change the system.

 

“So while we have seen relative stability in the two years since restoration, it is clear Sinn Féin and the DUP have no intention of giving up their ability to collapse the institutions at their will, which is deeply concerning.

 

“That is against public appetite. They want to see the institutions work better for them. People deserve better than having their politics and future left to ransom. Alliance will continue to be the advocate for reform and removing the ability for one party to paralyse the entire system.”