Concern has been expressed following the resignation of the Northern Ireland Secretary that the region is now being run by the civil service. Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie described the situation as "as bad as it gets".
He said the resignation of Brandon Lewis left Northern Ireland without a Secretary of State, while the Stormont Assembly remains collapsed. Mr Lewis announced his resignation early on Thursday, tweeting a copy of his resignation letter in which he told the Prime Minister that he had "given you, and those around you, the benefit of the doubt".
"We are, however, now past the point of no return. I cannot sacrifice my personal integrity to defend things as they stand now. It is clear that our Party, parliamentary colleagues, volunteers and the whole country, deserve better," he said.
