House of Lords to discuss double-jobbing despite opposition from most Stormont parties

By Q Radio News/ PA

The House of Lords will debate plans to bring back double-jobbing today despite opposition from most political parties here.

The plan would allow MP's to be elected to the assembly while retaining their seat at Westminster until the next election.

Six Stormont parties have written an open letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to ditch contentious plans to reintroduce dual mandates.

The Government is seeking to amend legislation currently going through parliament to allow MPs to return to the Assembly without the need to immediately vacate their Westminster seat and trigger a by-election.

Under the proposal set to be tabled in the Lords, MPs could be elected MLAs and remain as Members of Parliament until the next general election. Only at that point would they have to vacate their parliamentary seat.

Critics of the move have accused the Government of trying to facilitate DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s planned return to Stormont, allowing him to contest the forthcoming Assembly election while remaining MP for Lagan Valley and avoiding a potentially tricky by-election for his party.

The Government is seeking to amend draft legislation already proceeding through Westminster aimed at bringing greater stability to the powersharing institutions.

The current law banning Northern Ireland politicians from double-jobbing as MLAs and MPs came into effect in 2016.

The new proposed arrangements would see it return for temporary periods in between general elections.

The letter to Boris Johnson is signed by Alliance leader Naomi Long, Green Party NI leader Clare Bailey, UUP leader Doug Beattie, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

Michelle O'Neill

Ms O’Neill has also written to Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis accusing him of undermining the democratic process.

In Ms O’Neill’s letter to Mr Lewis, which has been seen by the PA news agency, she wrote: “The amendment tabled to the Bill by your Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Caine) to reinstate double-jobbing was not agreed by the parties or Governments as part of NDNA (New Decade, New Approach agreement).

“Therefore this attempt by the NIO to include it can only be interpreted as a crude political manoeuvre to shore up the DUP, in what amounts to an each way bet for the DUP Leader to both contest the forthcoming Assembly election, yet retain his Westminster seat.

“It has been roundly criticised and rightly opposed by the local parties, with the exception of the DUP which speaks volumes.

“The irony is that you contend that it is aimed at aiding political stability, yet the only party and political Leader threatening such stability at this time is the DUP and its Leader, Mr Donaldson himself.”

Commenting after sending the letter, Ms O’Neill described the Government move as a “disgraceful interference in the democratic process and the upcoming Assembly election”.

Sir Jeffrey has insisted that his party had not struck a deal with the Government over the proposal.

He questioned the criticism voiced by other parties, noting that they did not articulate opposition when the proposal was raised in a House of Lords debate before Christmas. He said the idea was first floated by the Labour Party.

“So I take with a pinch of salt some of the outrage we’re now seeing manifested by some of the political parties,” he said on Monday.

Labour has made clear that it will oppose the amendment if it is brought to a vote in the Lords this week, insisting the proposal does not have sufficient cross party support among Northern Ireland parties.

Mr Lewis defended the move on Twitter on Monday evening.

He said the amendment had originally been proposed by Lord Alderdice, a former leader of the Alliance Party.

“The principle received cross-party support in the Lords,” he added.

Jeffrey Donaldson