THERESA May was accused of “not batting an eyelid” over the threat to the peace process as she opted to travel to Scotland rather than getting involved in resolving talks in Belfast over rebuilding the devolved assembly at Stormont.
Colum Eastwood, leader of the nationalist party, the SDLP, said May displayed “arrogance” for continuing her tour of the UK ahead of triggering article 50, while political stability in Northern Ireland “hung in the balance”.
“As Theresa May continues her tour around the devolved nations with her band of Brexiteers, the future of devolution in Northern Ireland hangs in the balance,” he told The National.
“The threat to our institutions and to the political progress we have made over the last 18 years is very real and where previous governments rolled up their sleeves, Theresa May’s Tories haven’t batted an eyelid.”
He added: “Despite being the region of these islands most acutely affected by Brexit, the Prime Minister continues to arrogantly pursue her plan to trigger Article 50 while we have no Executive in place to provide a reasoned voice against an unbridled hard Brexit. This government has already ignored the democratically stated will of our people to remain in the EU. Their ignorance continues to abound. Theresa May should give up her tired and meaningless mantras about Brexit and begin actually engaging with the devolved administrations.”
But as well as outrage there was also little surprise in Northern Ireland May was elsewhere on the last scheduled day of the Stormont talks.
As the Prime Minster travelled to Scotland to meet Nicola Sturgeon and vow to build a “more united nation” politicians and commentators in Belfast said her choice not to cross the Irish Sea reflected the low priority with which she regarded the devolved nations.
“The Prime Minister has been somewhat disengaged from the talks process but this is no surprise. The devolved regions are held in contempt,” a Sinn Fein insider told The National.
He added that rather than strengthening the Union, Brexit would hasten its break up.
“Brexit has thrust the idea of Irish reunification front and centre and a lot of people are discussing his prospect now. People are starting to talk about a new Ireland,” he said. “It’s not just a case of the six counties being lumped into the 26 but a whole new political arrangement for the island of Ireland with a view to reunification.”
Negotiations to form a new power-sharing executive after this month’s snap election collapsed on Sunday, ahead of yesterday’s 4pm deadline.
Major stumbling blocks included demands by Sinn Fein for the DUP to implement legislation to give official status to the Irish language, a bill of rights and a way forward on dealing with the legacy of Northern Ireland’s Troubles.
Dr Dominic Bryan, of the School of Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University, Belfast, said: “There are quite a few people over here who don’t think the British Government is fully enough involved in the talks and in the difficulties that are taking place.
“Particularly over the issue of the legacy of the Troubles it is as much about the British Government’s response as it is about the relations between the parties here.”
Yesterday afternoon Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire said a “short window of opportunity” exists to restore a powersharing executive in the region. As the deadline to form a new Stormont administration passed at 4pm yesterday, following last month’s snap elections, Brokenshire said there remains “an overwhelming desire” for strong and stable devolved government.
“We now have a short window of opportunity to resolve outstanding issues and for an executive to be formed,” he said at a press conference outside Stormont House.
“Everyone owes it to the people of Northern Ireland to grasp that and provide the political leadership and stability that they want.”
Brokenshire said he would make a full statement in the House of Commons today setting out a way forward for the region.
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