Calls for the restoration of the Stormont Assembly dominated the first of shadow secretary of state Hilary Benn’s discussions with political parties in Northern Ireland.
The Labour veteran is taking part in his first visit to the region since being appointed shadow secretary of state last month.
On Tuesday he was greeted on arrival at Parliament Buildings in Stormont by Speaker Alex Maskey, before going on to meet the main five parties.
The visit comes as the Stormont Assembly remains collapsed amid DUP protest action against internal UK trade barriers created by Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.
The party says the framework deal struck by the EU and the UK to reform the protocol does not sufficiently address its concerns and has made clear it will not accept a return to devolution until the Government provides further assurances, by way of legislation, over Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.
Talks between the DUP and the Government have been ongoing over the summer.
One of the main parts of the framework – the green/red lane system for the movement of goods – became operational at Northern Ireland ports on Sunday.
Mr Benn’s first meeting on Tuesday was with Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill and North Belfast MP John Finucane.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Finucane said they had a “very positive and constructive meeting”.
“Top of the agenda in our message to him was the need to restore the assembly, to restore the executive, to have ministers in place at the job they were elected to do over a year ago,” he said.
“We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, we have a health service that demands action to begin to tackle the crisis in our waiting lists and the many other problems in our public services.
“But we were also keen to stress that we don’t want to miss the opportunities of the economic potential that we now have here. We also have a very significant and sizeable delegation coming from America in a couple of weeks led by the US president’s special envoy Joe Kennedy.
Mr Finucane added: “People voted in a historic election over 18 months ago now, and the very least that they deserve is to have ministers in place, doing the job they should be doing.
“I don’t think there is any excuse for the DUP to be remaining out of government … they need to get back in and respect the outcome of last year’s election without delay.”
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he is continuing to engage with the government in terms of negotiating a solution to unionist concerns around post-Brexit arrangements.
“Every negotiation has a beginning and an end, and we will no doubt reach a moment where both sides will recognise that we have taken this as far as we can. We’re not there yet, and that’s why we’re continuing to engage with the government on these issues,” he said.
“I want to find a solution. I’m not planning for failure, I’m planning to get this done because we want to see Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom properly protected and respected in UK law, and we want to see a functioning Stormont.”
Alliance leader Naomi Long praised Mr Benn for his level of engagement with, and knowledge of, issues in Northern Ireland.
She said the focus of their conversation was around efforts to resurrect the Stormont Assembly.
“We also did raise our concerns about issues such as reform, both of our finances and public services, and about the need for us to be able to do that in a way that reflects the fact that Northern Ireland does have higher levels of need,” she said.
“I was very impressed both with his levels of interest and also his levels of knowledge. I would have expected nothing else and it was a very good meeting.”
She said she hoped future meetings with Mr Benn will take place in the context of a functioning Assembly.
“This current situation where we have no Assembly, no devolution is just not a sustainable position for Northern Ireland to be in, and it is not good for the people who we represent, who are languishing on waiting lists, who are struggling with their finances, who can’t access childcare and who are facing all of the multiple demands and challenges that everyone else faces but doing it without the support of the people they elected to take on these challenges on their behalf.”
On Monday Mr Benn met staff from the Wave Trauma Centre, which supports Troubles victims and relatives of those bereaved, as well as making a visit to Queen’s University Belfast.
Mr Finucane said the government’s controversial new Legacy Act was also discussed during his party’s meeting with Mr Benn.
