New NI Secretary of State meets five main political parties at Stormont

by PA reporter and Q Radio News

Northern Ireland's new Secretary of State has held a series of separate meetings with the five main parties in Belfast.

Julian Smith met with the parties in Stormont on Friday morning.

Speaking after the meeting, the Ulster Unionists' Doug Beattie said: "He does need time to put his feet under the table, but he doesn't have a lot of time, he doesn't have weeks, he can't sit there and pontificate about what his next move is.

"He needs to ramp up the talks process and give a very clear structure to that talks process, and he needs to give us a direction of travel, which we have been sadly lacking over the last few months and weeks.

"We made it absolutely clear to him that no matter what his relationship is with the DUP, he cannot be a sop to their tantrums and cannot be meek and mild in front of Sinn Fein's intransigence. He needs to bang their hands together."

UUP’s Doug Beattie says SOS Julian Smith needs to bang DUP and Sinn Féin’s heads together and give the talks process a ‘direction of travel’: pic.twitter.com/ZalbSWI7gD

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 26, 2019

Mr Beattie added: "What he cannot do is ignore the smaller parties and think he's going to bounce us at the very end of this process and expect us to jump in.

"There is an issue of governance and an issue of transparency, and we want to see those addressed properly.

"As Secretary of State he needs to be proactive and, if he is not, he will fall in exactly the same way as the last Secretary of State fell."

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein also held a meeting with Mr Smith which lasted about an hour.

Speaking afterwards, Mary Lou McDonald said: "We have stepped through all of the issues with him and obviously the outstanding rights issues and the issues that need to be resolved to ensure that the institutions can be restored, and that, crucially, we can deliver inclusive, sustainable and good government for every citizen living in this part of Ireland.

"He is aware of the issues, he is aware that they have been well rehearsed. He's aware that this process of talks and negotiations has, to use his term, ebbed and flowed.

"He's also aware that it needs to pick up momentum, that it can't go on forever.

"He has committed that he will deal with all of the parties on the basis of equality and impartiality."

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald says her party told new Sec. of State Julian Smith they hope he’s the last one. She says he took it in ‘good heart’: pic.twitter.com/jivTIKBZdO

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 26, 2019

Mrs McDonald added: "We have challenged him on the relationship between the Tories and the DUP, and the next round of confidence and supply.

"We have said to him very clearly that that relationship has poisoned the water here and has conspired to keep the institutions down.

"I think his commitment to deal even-handedly will be tested in the coming weeks. We don't need a 'yes' man."

SDLP Deputy leader Nichola Mallon says the new Secretary of State needs to prove he is not just a "yes man" for the DUP. 

After meeting with the new SOS Julian Smith this morning, SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon says he needs to prove he’s not just a ‘yes man’ for DUP:” pic.twitter.com/E6zH6uNw91

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 26, 2019

Alliance leader Naomi Long says Julian Smith's predescessor Karen Bradley was incapable of delivering as Secretary of State, partly because of the DUP/Tory relationship. 

She says she worries it will be the same case with Julian Smith.

Alliance leader Naomi Long says Karen Bradley was incapable of delivering as SOS, partly because of DUP/Cons relationship. Says she worries it will be the same case for Julian Smith: pic.twitter.com/9dclFOa9gh

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 26, 2019

The Irish deputy Prime Minister met the new Northern Ireland secretary of state at Stormont this morning. 

Simon Coveney says he pressed on Julian Smith the need to avoid additional problems here, and to form a new power-sharing executive

He also says the new UK Prime Minister appears to be on a 'collision course' with Ireland and the EU. 

Irish Tànaiste Simon Coveney says new British PM Boris Johnson has set Britain on a ‘collision course’ with EU in Brexit negotiations: pic.twitter.com/joSfrfsd6I

— Q Radio News (@qnewsdesk) July 26, 2019

Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith has arrived at the Guildhall in Londonderry.

He was greeted by Derry and Strabane deputy mayor Cara Hunter and council chief executive John Kelpie.

Mr Smith also met Foyle MP Elisha McCallion inside the Guildhall.

A number of Irish language act and Bloody Sunday campaigners staged a demonstration outside the building during his visit.

Speaking in Belfast, Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said: "The dynamic between the British and Irish governments here as part of that process is really important.

"I think Julian Smith understands only too well the challenges we face and the importance of devolved government to Northern Ireland, to the Good Friday Agreement, to relationships across these islands.

"I think we will work well together to ensure that political parties in Northern Ireland are making decision for themselves and for the people of Northern Ireland in a devolved institution, and a functioning executive that has essentially a fresh new start on the basis of a deal that I hope the parties will be able to put together soon rather than later."

(Julian Smith in Derry-Londonderry)

New Secretary of State Julian Smith travelled to Londonderry to meet a number of officials as part of his first visit to Northern Ireland.

He said he received a "great welcome" in Belfast on Friday morning.

"We will be talking about Brexit and all of the challenges of delivering that by October 31," he said.

"We will be talking about all of the issues that are important to the whole of Northern Ireland."

Asked whether he has confidence in the Northern Ireland talks, Mr Smith said: "There were really good conversations this morning and I think all the political parties seem ready to engage in detail.

"I've asked them to meet on Monday and Tuesday next week. We need to really push forward because getting the Executive up and running is really key to moving things on and that's part of the preparations for Brexit.

"There is no doubt that there are major challenges and we have got to treat those challenges very carefully, and I intend to do everything I can to address those challenges."