Northern Ireland's pro remain parties meet with business leaders at Stormont

by PA

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill, alongside senior figures from Northern Ireland's other pro Remain parties, met with business leaders at Stormont on Monday morning.

Speaking afterwards, Ms O'Neill insisted they spoke for the majority in Northern Ireland, a region of the UK that voted remain in the Brexit referendum.

"We collectively, as four pro Remain parties, have been consistent in saying we speak for a cross-community majority of people here who voted to remain and clearly as we enter into the next number of weeks, this really is crunch time, this really is a critical time, it's a time for practical thinking," she said.

"What's on the table currently in the form of the Withdrawal Agreement is the least worst outcome, it is by no means a brilliant outcome, it by no means answers all the questions that businesses have here, but the reality is the economic facts speak for themselves.

"The business community very much come at this from that practical point of view, so I think our conversation this morning was useful and whilst we chart our way through the next number of weeks I think it is important that we are consistent, we remain firm on the facts, we remain firm, there is no good to come from Brexit but that we remain firm that the Withdrawal Agreement is much better than a crash out Brexit."

Northern Ireland's business leaders are currently meeting delegations from the Democratic Unionist Party at Stormont.

Both sides are expected to give statements after the meeting.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has issued an appeal for members of the Labour Party to vote for the withdrawal deal.

Mr Eastwood was speaking alongside members of Northern Ireland's pro-Remain parties - Sinn Fein, Alliance and the Green Party - following a meeting with the business community.

He said: "We don't think there is a good Brexit but if we are going to have one, let's try and limit the damage to our communities and our businesses and our society here, that's what the backstop does, we need to bank that backstop, it is our ultimate insurance policy.

"I would appeal to people across the water who have a vote in two weeks' time, particularly people in the Labour Party who have a very keen interest in supporting our peace process and all the political progress we have had over the last 20 years, this is an opportunity to once again step in and protect the progress that you were involved in helping bring about.

"It is absolutely essential and we are all saying it, we are saying it as a collective political majority, we are saying it as a civic society from across all the different sectors, and our communities are saying it as well, we need your help, we need your protection, we need you to vote for this deal."