Stormont leaders more interested in optics than legislation, claims Bradshaw

By David Young, PA

Stormont’s leaders are more interested in optics than delivery of meaningful legislation, the chairwoman of their scrutiny committee has claimed.

Paula Bradshaw, whose Alliance Party is a member of the powersharing Executive, suggested Sinn Féin First Minister Michelle O’Neill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly are overly interested in photo opportunities at the expense of progressing significant policy moves.

The South Belfast MLA criticised the number of Bills brought before the Assembly since devolution returned last year.

The Executive Office committee chairwoman said of 18 Bills originally announced in a work programme for 2024, only eight have been brought forward three-and-a-half months into 2025.

“That isn’t good enough,” she told BBC NI’s Sunday Politics programme.

“We know that a lot of the work on these proposals, policy proposals for these Bills is long past. The consultations are long over. So where’s the Bill? Where is the impetus from the ministers to bring them forward to us to do the work that we are charged with in terms of our scrutiny, and get them out to the far end for those people who will benefit from them?”

Ms Bradshaw said there is an onus on Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly to ensure fellow ministers are bringing Bills forward to the Assembly.

“If you think about the rest of this mandate, there’s 25 months, but if you take recess out of that there’s only 18 months left, so do the math,” she added.

“We need these Bills to come forward so that we can do our work as scrutiny committee members, so that we ensure that they are fit for purpose at the far end.”

Asked if she believes the first and deputy first ministers are over interested in the positive spin of the photographs but are less successful at making difficult decisions, Ms Bradshaw replied: “In a word, yes. I think that they’re more interested in the optics and how they present that sort of dual role of First Minister and deputy First Minister than actually the substance that we as MLAs in the scrutiny committees actually want to see.”

The Executive Office has been approached for comment.