Eastwood hopes for deal to resurrect Stormont before Christmas
By Rebecca Black and Jonathan McCambridge, PA
Hope has been expressed for a deal to secure the return of powersharing government in Northern Ireland before Christmas.
Talks have been ongoing for some time between the DUP and the British government over addressing unionist concerns around post-Brexit trading arrangements.
The party has been refusing to participate in the Stormont Assembly and executive until they are satisfied concerns have been addressed.
On Thursday, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said it was “approaching the time” for a decision.
A meeting of DUP officers was due to take place on Friday.
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he is hopeful a deal can be struck.
“The message is very clear, look at how long the waiting lists are, look at the fact that public sector workers are standing in the cold on strike for fair pay, they’re the people they should be listening to if they don’t want to listen to me. Listen to them and get back to work,” he told reporters in Londonderry.
“I am hopeful that a deal can be done by the end of next week and that before Christmas we can finally have an executive back up and running.
“Nobody should be getting praise for that, that’s their job, they should be doing it.”
Meanwhile, talks between the Northern Ireland parties and the British government over a £2.5 billion package to stabilise finances in the region are to continue on Monday.
The British government has offered a lump sum to settle outstanding public sector pay demands and a new fiscal floor for Northern Ireland, but it is dependent on a restored powersharing administration in Belfast.
The Stormont Assembly and executive have been effectively collapsed for almost two years amid DUP protest action over unionist concerns around post-Brexit trading arrangements.
The powersharing institutions in Northern Ireland require the largest unionist and nationalist parties to share power.
On Wednesday, British prime minister Rishi Sunak said the British government stands ready to legislate to “protect” Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.
He said such a move would sit alongside a deal to restore the Northern Ireland Executive.
