Reform of Assembly central to Aontú election manifesto

At the launch of its Northern Ireland election campaign Aontú has proposed stopping the salaries of Stormont MLAs “if they won’t do their job”.

Leader Peadar Tóibín said they are standing on a platform of “serious reform”, which he described as “needed now more than ever”.

Since the last Stormont election in 2017, the Assembly was collapsed for three years following the resignation of then deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.

While it resumed in 2020, the Executive was left unable to fully function following the resignation of first minister Paul Givan in February.

Significant increase in complaints against gardaí during pandemic, Gsoc says

---

Church of Ireland bishop visits IRA grave whose death triggered Bandon Valley massacere

---

People in Northern Ireland want new Executive formed quickly – Taoiseach

---

Young NI voters swerve ‘that orange and green stuff’

---

“There is a crisis in the north of Ireland, the likes of which has not been seen for generations and it needs radical change right now,” Mr Tóibín told his party’s manifesto launch at Farset International on the west Belfast peace line.

“The north of Ireland has been drastically let down by the political system and by politicians.

“Under the reforms that we want to institute in the next Assembly is that we want to create a situation where parties such as the DUP and Sinn Féin can no longer crash the political institutions. No one political party has the right to take down the people’s democratically elected Assembly.

“And also, they can’t seek a wage if they’re going to bring it down either.”

He said his party wants to make sure there is an Opposition within Stormont in the future.

Aontú’s manifesto proposes reform of the Stormont institutions including the devolution of fiscal powers from London, increased investment in the education and health systems and increased tax on homes that are empty for more than two years with no good reason.

The party also commits to a referendum on Irish unity within five years, the formation of a new Ireland forum to plan for reunification, vows to protect the Brexit protocol and calls for the immediate implementation of Irish language legislation.

Mr Tóibín, who is elected as TD for the Meath West constituency in the Republic, contends that Aontú is the only anti-abortion all-Ireland political party.

This is the first Stormont Assembly election the party has contested. In 2019, it contested the Westminster election, winning 1.2 per cent of Northern Ireland’s electorate.

The party is running 12 candidates, and Mr Tóibín said he believes they will be competing for a seat in at least four constituencies, including West Belfast and Foyle. - PA