Sinn Féin Assembly Speaker Maskey unable to plant Queen's Jubilee tree after positive Covid test

Assembly Speaker Alex Maskey has pulled out of a tree planting ceremony to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee after testing positive for Covid-19.

The event is taking place on Monday at Parliament Buildings with the DUP's William Humphrey now deputising for the Sinn Fein MLA.

The North Belfast MLA is the chairman of the Northern Ireland Assembly Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Branch.

The Ulster Unionist Party's (UUP) deputy leader Robbie Butler will also take part in the ceremony.

A political row broke out earlier this year around the planting of the tree.

Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy was accused of blocking the move on ideological grounds by DUP MP Sammy Wilson.

Sinn Féin rejected that claim insisting their minister was following rules.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson said when he held the post of Finance Minister he reluctantly allowed a GAA commemoration to take place despite reservations and hit out at Conor Murphy for not allowing a tree or a rose bush to be planted at Stormont to mark Northern Ireland's centenary last year.

Sinn Féin said if the political parties wanted to bring forward a new and agreed approach, Mr Murphy would be happy to consider it.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles is to take the place of the Queen at a Commonwealth Service in Westminster Abbey due to mobility issues.

Last year, Queen Elizabeth had to cancel a trip to Northern Ireland and has just recently recovered from Covid-19.