Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:

“TUV learned through the press that the chair of the Assembly and Executive Review committee, Stephen Moutray, was seeking the views of political parties on the reform of Stormont. He complained that most had chosen to ignore his letter. Strangely Mr Moutray chose not to contact the one party in the Assembly which has been most vocal about the need for radical reform of Stormont, TUV.

“Nonetheless, TUV made a submission which made the following points:

·         The present arrangements, centred on mandatory coalition, have abjectly failed and are incapable of ever producing good government.

·         Any system to work and give durable and workable government must restore respect for the fundamental democratic imperatives of the electorate being permitted to change their government - which mandatory coalition denies - and being permitted to have within the Assembly an Official Opposition.

·         The 1998 Act needs to be radically amended so that after each election those parties who can agree a programme for government and command the requisite majority in the Assembly, form the government, and those who cannot fulfil the vital role of Opposition. In consequence the filling of ministerial posts by D'Hondt should be abandoned.

·         The office of the joint First Ministers should be dissolved as it has proven to be a dysfunctional disaster.

·         The number of government departments should be radically reduced to in or about six.

·         The number of MLAs should be cut by at least a third.

“Not only would this result in a truly democratic Stormont but it would be much more cost effective.”