UUP's Beattie discusses closer EU alignment during meeting with shadow Northern Ireland secretary

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie hailed a “good meeting” with shadow Northern Ireland secretary Hilary Benn.

Mr Benn was making his first visit to Northern Ireland since his appointment last month.

He met with all five parties at Stormont after meetings on Monday with representatives from the Wave Trauma Centre, which supports Troubles victims and relatives of those bereaved, as well as making a visit to Queen’s University Belfast.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said: "We talked a lot about how do we get Stormont up and running again, we talked a lot about the Windsor Framework, the red and the green lanes, the building of trust between the EU, closer alignment, and then we went on to talk about legacy, and he is certainly over the detail of the new legacy act,” he said.

“He talked about what he could do if there was a Labour government and what his position would be in regards to that legacy act.”

Mr Beattie said of his comments on Monday that he felt pessimistic about likelihood of a Stormont return, that they had been brought about by a number of factors.

“We were told that before the break up for conference season that there would be legislation laid in regards to the Windsor Framework, and things that would help the DUP make their decision.

"That didn’t happen so that left me thinking where is it, so things are delayed, that’s what made me more pessimistic,” he said.

“I think I still know what is going to be offered to the DUP, I think I still know where we are in regards to that, but I don’t think that’s been offered yet, I don’t think that’s going to be offered this week, it might be offered next week, I don’t know.

“So I think that meeting of the DUP on Thursday will be their stock take for their executive, to say, ‘this is where we are, this is what we’ve asked for, these are the papers we’ve put in, and these are the answers we’re waiting to get’.

“I don’t think much will change this week.”

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