Northern Ireland Secretary doubles down on 'exclusion' of Sinn Féin president from talks
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said it would not have been wise to invite Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald to a political meeting about the Northern Ireland Protocol because she is a "representative of a parliament in an EU member state".
Mr Heaton-Harris was meeting with Tanaiste Micheál Martin in Hillsborough as part of a series of engagements between the Irish Foreign Affairs Minister and the Taoiseach with politicians and business leaders in Northern Ireland.
Sinn Féin refused to attend the roundtable meeting with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Wednesday after being told its president could not attend.
Mr Heaton-Harris said: "Sinn Féin were invited, it is a shame Michelle (O'Neill) didn't come along because it was an update on the protocol discussions.
"There are many factors which go into the thought process. One, to be quite frank, is that the UK Government is negotiating with the European Union.
"We wanted to update Northern Ireland parties on that negotiation and, with the greatest of respect, Mary Lou is a representative of a parliament in an EU member state.
"That might not have been seen as a wise thing to do."
The row over the exclusion of the Sinn Féin president from a political meeting with the Foreign Secretary rumbled on as Irish premier Leo Varadkar, Tanaiste Micheal Martin and UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer were all holding talks in Northern Ireland as part of efforts to resolve the dispute over the post-Brexit trading arrangements.
The Taoiseach and Sir Keir are meeting with the main Stormont parties to discuss the deadlock over the protocol, which the DUP has cited as its reason for boycotting Northern Ireland's devolved institutions since May.
Sir Keir began his two-day visit to Northern Ireland by meeting business leaders in Belfast before travelling to Stormont.
Speaking after meeting Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the Stormont Hotel in east Belfast, Sinn Féin's deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said Mr Heaton-Harris should concentrate his efforts on restoring devolution.
"Well, today is a new day and Chris Heaton-Harris would be better placing his energy and his efforts on trying to restore the Assembly and the Executive up on the hill.
"That's what the public have asked for.
"They voted for that back in May and all of his energy and his government's energy should be on getting a deal around the Protocol, making the Protocol work all within the framework of what has been agreed.
"That is what the public deserve, no less that that."
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald added: "All of us know that the way that we make progress is together, that's how this works, that's what the history of the last 25 years reflects, so any idea of excluding anybody, excluding the leader of any party, needs to be scotched and knocked on the head now.
"These are serious matters, people are relying on leaders to lead, not to get involved in petulant, divisive and petty politics, so we are here to get our job done, we're absolutely sure and determined that agreement can be reached, and we say now the ball is in the court of everyone, but particularly the British government."
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