FIRST Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness have been accused of “a major accountability deficit” for not discussing a letter from the prime minister about Brexit.
Instead, the letter in which Theresa May did not make any new commitments to the power sharing administration was obtained by the BBC the day after the EU referendum was debated at Stormont.
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In separate replies to Mrs. Foster and Mr. McGuinness, Mrs. May insisted the future of the Border post-Brexit is an important priority for the United Kingdom, not just Northern Ireland. She also pledged to take full account of the region’s specific interests in the negotiations with Europe.
But while the letter reiterated her government’s previously stated general positions on Northern Ireland aspects of Brexit, it did not include any detailed pledges around specific concerns raised by Mrs. Foster and Mr. McGuinness.
Their letter to Downing Street was sent on August 10 and Mrs. May replied last week, three months later.
The future of the Border, particularly for an area like Fermanagh, has dominated the headlines.
In her reply, Mrs. May wrote: “I am committed to full engagement with the Northern Ireland Executive on the UK’s exit from the EU and will take full account of the specific interests of the people of Northern Ireland in order to get the best deal possible for all parts of our United Kingdom as we leave the EU.”
First Minister Arlene Foster
The letter from Mrs. Foster and Mr. McGuinness stressed that Brexit could not be allowed to compromise cross-Border efforts to tackle organised crime and those opposed to the peace process.
Responding, Mrs. May said she did not want to see a “return to the Borders of the past”.
The prime minister said she recognised there were issues around the single all Ireland electricity market and with the supply of gas and said resolving those would be a priority. Agri-food sector and structural funding would also be priorities, she said.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
Mrs. May invited the two politicians to the next plenary meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee at Downing Street on October 24. and said she hoped the meeting would provide an opportunity to “continue our constructive discussion on this important issue.”
Reacting to news of the letter, Alliance MLA Stephen Farry said: “There is a major accountability deficit from the first minister and deputy first minister, who have yet to even mention the prime minister’s response to the Assembly.”
A spokesman for Mrs. Foster and Mr. McGuinness insisted there was no undue delay.
“We welcome the commitment by the prime minister to full engagement with the Executive in the UK’s exit from the EU,” he said, accusing others of “playing to the gallery.” “Next Monday we will walk through the door of Downing Street with the mandate the electorate gave us to discuss these matters directly with the prime minister and representatives from Scotland and Wales,” he said.
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