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Northern Ireland\u2019s next Assembly election should be postponed for a year because of the coronavirus crisis, former secretary of state Julian Smith has said.<\/p>\nNorthern Ireland\u2019s next Assembly election should be postponed for a year because of the coronavirus crisis, former secretary of state Julian Smith has said.<\/p>\n
More time is needed to tackle educational inequality and housing shortages once the devolved administration\u2019s focus shifts from defeating the infection, he added.<\/p>\n
The next Stormont poll is due in 2022 and Mr Smith said devolved ministers need an extended period to realize their priorities for Government.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI think giving this Executive and Assembly time would help,\u201d and after a \u201cdecent\u201d period voters may be able to take part in a more meaningful election.”<\/p>\n
The former British cabinet minister acknowledged that polls tend to be dominated by constitutional questions surrounding Northern Ireland\u2019s place in the UK.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that as a result of Covid many things that would have happened in the Executive in the weeks following the restoration have obviously been delayed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI pay tribute to the fact they have done a budget.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do think that the trust issue and building of capacity amongst Northern Ireland politicians is important, but more importantly the thing that gave me confidence during this period was listening to voters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney and Mr Smith brokered the New Decade, New Approach deal with five Stormont parties which restored power-sharing in January after a three-year hiatus.<\/p>\n
He was sacked as Northern Ireland secretary by Boris Johnson in February despite enjoying widespread support in the country.<\/p>\n
The Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee: \u201cPeople want their services to work and Northern Ireland does work, but I genuinely think that now we have had this crisis we do need to provide time to get those things improved.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe overarching improvements in health care, the need to start delivering on City Deals (regenerating greater Belfast and Derry) and infrastructure projects and the need to look at education and educational inequalities that still exist, the housing deficit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stormont collapsed following Martin McGuinness\u2019s resignation as deputy first minister in a row over a botched green energy scheme, and deepened to include a dispute over the place of the Irish language in public life.<\/p>\n
January\u2019s deal increased to up to six months the period before an election would have to be called following a similar resignation, as part of efforts to make the power-sharing institutions less susceptible to collapse.<\/p>\n
Mr Smith promised significant new funds from Westminster at the time the accord was signed.<\/p>\n
Today he reiterated his concern that within 48 hours charging for water had been ruled out by new ministers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is inevitable that in order to be a full success some form of revenue-raising will have to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said there was willingness to support Northern Ireland with extra money from Westminster in future.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a huge hunger, there was when I was minister, from the Prime Minister and Government ministers to support the priorities of the New Decade, New Approach.\u201d<\/p>\n
He warned there had to be an understanding that Whitehall and the Government needed to be fair to Scottish, Welsh and English voters.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is a prioritization\u2026 and if there is reform happening\u2026 I think that the Chancellor and the Prime Minister are incredibly supportive of making this Executive work.\u201d<\/p>\n