:00:22. > :00:23.Hello, and welcome to Stormont Today, on the day
:00:24. > :00:28.in the recent Assembly election came up to the chamber
:00:29. > :00:32.But with the future of the devolved institutions right at the heart
:00:33. > :00:34.of the ongoing talks between the parties,
:00:35. > :00:38.the future of this place is, for now at least, far from clear.
:00:39. > :00:43.For some it was the first day of school, but old friends
:00:44. > :00:56.I extend a particular welcome to those who are present in the chamber
:00:57. > :00:59.for the first time. We would also like to put on the record our
:01:00. > :01:05.appreciation to those colleagues from all sides of the chamber who
:01:06. > :01:06.either decided not to run, return were not re-elected.
:01:07. > :01:10.But none of the 90 MLAs present can get back to work until the current
:01:11. > :01:19.None of this is easy, it is all very difficult, but what we are focused
:01:20. > :01:22.on is about bringing back devolution to Northern Ireland and that is
:01:23. > :01:24.where my focus is I hope it's for everybody else's is as well.
:01:25. > :01:26.And joining me to share his thoughts on today's developments
:01:27. > :01:32.is Professor Rick Wilford from Queen's University.
:01:33. > :01:35.They may have been successful at the ballot box ten days ago,
:01:36. > :01:38.but this afternoon it became official as 90 freshly elected
:01:39. > :01:41.politicians came to Stormont to formally sign in.
:01:42. > :01:48.won't see the inside of the Assembly chamber for another fortnight
:01:49. > :01:51.when the deadline to propose a First and Deputy First Minister runs out.
:01:52. > :01:59.But ceremony waits for no man, nor deadline.
:02:00. > :02:26.Please take your seats. Before we proceed with today's business, I
:02:27. > :02:32.would like to offer my congratulations to all of you
:02:33. > :02:35.following the election. As well as welcoming back former members, I
:02:36. > :02:40.extend a particular welcome to those who are present in the chamber for
:02:41. > :02:45.the first time. I would also like to put on a record our appreciation to
:02:46. > :02:50.those colleagues from all sides of the chamber who either decided not
:02:51. > :02:56.to run, return or I will not be elected. We thank them for their
:02:57. > :03:02.service. Item two on the order paper it is the signing of the undertaking
:03:03. > :03:05.and the rule of membership. Before we proceed, members, they might find
:03:06. > :03:14.it helpful if the undertaking is read into the record. Clark, please
:03:15. > :03:17.read the undertaking. The undertaking is as follows, to
:03:18. > :03:21.undertake to support the rule of law unequivocally in word and deed and
:03:22. > :03:25.to support our efforts to oppose it, to work collectively with the other
:03:26. > :03:29.members of the Assembly to achieve the society free of paramilitaries,
:03:30. > :03:32.to challenge all paramilitary activity and associated criminality,
:03:33. > :03:37.to call for and to work together with the other members of the
:03:38. > :03:39.Assembly to achieve the disbandment of all paramilitary organisations
:03:40. > :03:44.under structures, to challenge paramilitary attempts to control
:03:45. > :03:47.committee -- communities, to support those who are determined to make the
:03:48. > :03:52.transition away from paramilitaries, to accept no authority, direction or
:03:53. > :03:55.control or political activities other than the democratic mandate
:03:56. > :03:56.alongside my own personal and party judgment.
:03:57. > :03:59.45 minutes - that's all it took - and now the chamber sits silent
:04:00. > :04:10.There is a symbolic value to today's procedure but it doesn't remove the
:04:11. > :04:18.bigger issues forward at all, does it? Noel, it is a necessary
:04:19. > :04:26.procedure they have to go through. On the first day, normally would be
:04:27. > :04:40.electing the speaker. That has been put back by common consensus. Today,
:04:41. > :04:48.the Senate chamber, there was a session there. From all parties in
:04:49. > :04:56.the UK and elsewhere. Two minutes, half a minute each for them today.
:04:57. > :05:01.When they get through it we can go into gardening leave for a couple of
:05:02. > :05:05.weeks. Those who are not engage in their ongoing talks, of course. We
:05:06. > :05:09.have to tread water for the next couple of weeks until maybe there is
:05:10. > :05:13.a chink of light. Wright lives get your assessment of that talks
:05:14. > :05:20.process. Do you see any sign at all of significant progress -- progress
:05:21. > :05:23.at this stage? No, I don't. Wright do you have any hope there will be
:05:24. > :05:30.in the two weeks remaining, theoretically? We don't quite know
:05:31. > :05:34.what might happen beyond the 27th of March, ostensibly the deadline for
:05:35. > :05:44.this round of talks. There may be an extended round of talks. As far as
:05:45. > :05:53.broken Jaya can exercise. They started roundtable talks. -- James
:05:54. > :05:58.Brokenshire. I don't think there is any significant sign of forward
:05:59. > :06:02.movement at all. We don't know, for example, the extent to which there
:06:03. > :06:11.are red lines on which party are putting down which red lines. Not
:06:12. > :06:16.just Sinn Fein amid EU people. -- DUP. That has been postponed as an
:06:17. > :06:22.issue and less until we get some agreement on issues. One of the
:06:23. > :06:25.things Sinn Fein have been at some pains to stress is that this is
:06:26. > :06:30.about implementing agreements that were struck in the past. I vividly
:06:31. > :06:35.remember and he recounted in his member of the talks process, George
:06:36. > :06:38.Mitchell, it is one thing to reach an agreement but it is something
:06:39. > :06:43.completely different are actually implemented. That is where we are.
:06:44. > :06:47.Wright we are supposed to see nominations for the first and equity
:06:48. > :06:50.First Minister on the 27th. Wright I don't think anyone is holding a
:06:51. > :06:55.great deal of breath for that to happen. We should have the election
:06:56. > :07:01.speaker on that day. It is not clear who that would be. Probably not be
:07:02. > :07:05.current person? Most unlikely. He lost the confidence of the majority
:07:06. > :07:12.of the House before we went into election. Wright what are the
:07:13. > :07:19.options? There has been an agreement between Sinn Fein and the DBT retain
:07:20. > :07:26.his speakership. They are going to have to look else where. Maybe the
:07:27. > :07:35.SDLP, maybe Alliance. Wright B have pretty much ruled themselves out.
:07:36. > :07:48.There are two former Deputy speakers in the elderly group may. It could
:07:49. > :07:55.be one of them. We will hopefully see in the next fortnight. -- here.
:07:56. > :07:57.Rick, thank-you very much, we'll hear more from
:07:58. > :08:01.Among the 90 MLAs signing in today were several new faces,
:08:02. > :08:02.including Ulster Unionist John Stewart.
:08:03. > :08:05.I spoke to him shortly after he'd signed the register and I asked
:08:06. > :08:07.if he felt he was perhaps arriving at Stormont just as
:08:08. > :08:16.There is a sense of an pension, nobody knows what's going on. There
:08:17. > :08:19.is frustration for myself and many of my colleagues he want to get down
:08:20. > :08:26.and get work done. At the moment that is not possible. What is your
:08:27. > :08:30.personal delight at being successful in East Antrim offset by the party's
:08:31. > :08:37.overall poor performance? Bittersweet, when I gave my
:08:38. > :08:44.acceptance speech he was standing down and it was sad to see. We are
:08:45. > :08:48.any results -based game of which seats are seen as points and we
:08:49. > :08:53.dropped seats and in that respect it wasn't a great election for the
:08:54. > :08:57.Ulster Unionist Party. You say you lost to seats and a leader. How
:08:58. > :09:03.significant is that the party at such a critical time? It is not
:09:04. > :09:07.ideal. I think the party is in a position where it has to get
:09:08. > :09:12.together and look forward and see what we have to do for ourselves. Do
:09:13. > :09:22.you think that was right to stand down? He just advised his decision
:09:23. > :09:28.rightly. He felt was the result was me performance he had been looking
:09:29. > :09:34.for. Who are you backing for the leadership? There is a process
:09:35. > :09:37.going. The AGM will be held on the eighth. The process is open to
:09:38. > :09:41.anybody. I am not sure who else is put their name and forehead. At the
:09:42. > :09:47.moment, I have signalled to Robinson on that I be giving my support. Does
:09:48. > :09:53.he look like a very strong contender? He does indeed. He is
:09:54. > :09:57.very strong in his policy. He resonates with the public and I
:09:58. > :10:01.think you do a great job for the Ulster Unionist Party. Did you come
:10:02. > :10:04.a school trip if you use a good because you were so inspired what
:10:05. > :10:09.you start that he wanted to pursue a career in politics and maybe come
:10:10. > :10:16.back Sunday as an NLE? I with your instrument Stormont was in the
:10:17. > :10:23.special as well. We came up and handy for oil tour of the building.
:10:24. > :10:27.We met with some of the politicians. I said to my teacher was something I
:10:28. > :10:31.really wanted to do. I wasn't involved in politics than 16 years
:10:32. > :10:37.later here we are. How did the day feel for you, the realisation of
:10:38. > :10:41.that? It was nice, the first time I had sat in the gene and is 2000 when
:10:42. > :10:46.I was last year. To go from that to being an actual MLE it was a
:10:47. > :10:48.frightening moment. If there is another election, your seat could be
:10:49. > :10:54.vulnerable. Is that a scenario that keeps you awake at night? Not at
:10:55. > :10:57.all. Nothing keeps me awake but what I am thinking about is getting on
:10:58. > :11:01.the ground in addressing the issues that constituents have brought to
:11:02. > :11:05.me. I am not thinking about another election. I am not worried about it.
:11:06. > :11:11.Every seat is up for grabs and will be fighting to hold onto what have.
:11:12. > :11:15.Are you optimistic that the ongoing talks process will be successful and
:11:16. > :11:20.the institutions will be up and running again sooner rather than
:11:21. > :11:25.later? We have two. The public overwhelmingly gave politicians a
:11:26. > :11:28.mandate to go out. There is an expectation from the public we have
:11:29. > :11:32.to get things up and running again. I am optimistic and I think people
:11:33. > :11:33.have to be. We have to get around the negotiating table.
:11:34. > :11:37.And I'm now joined by another first-time Member,
:11:38. > :11:48.Thanks for joining us. Congratulations on your success in a
:11:49. > :11:52.Lagan Valley. You try to win a seat number of times before, your third
:11:53. > :11:59.attempt at the Assembly. Did you really believe you can do it this
:12:00. > :12:07.time? We went from a very loyal and increased early vote. We felt there
:12:08. > :12:13.was always going to be belief and we felt it was possible. It was a case
:12:14. > :12:24.of trying to engage people, show them we can do it and it was OK. You
:12:25. > :12:32.backed yourself, that's the important thing. I did indeed. You
:12:33. > :12:39.benefit from the cancer. His comment paid dividends? That is something
:12:40. > :12:46.that has been going on. -- you benefited from the Ulster Unionist
:12:47. > :12:52.Party ends. It worked the other way as well. A lot of constituents's
:12:53. > :12:58.roads were gone to elect other members of the Assembly who are here
:12:59. > :13:03.at the moment. It worked out fairly evenly. It was helpful to me in the
:13:04. > :13:08.Lagan Valley that I got that cross community support. I remember on
:13:09. > :13:12.Friday night, it just sort of happened when you interviewed me
:13:13. > :13:19.just after the result has come in and I genuinely don't see... I want
:13:20. > :13:23.to be representative of all of that one community I don't see too. That
:13:24. > :13:29.is all this together trying to do better. Is that what you believe
:13:30. > :13:32.your mandate as for Lagan Valley, to represent everybody in that
:13:33. > :13:42.constituency, not just the SDLP? Absolutely everyone. I had an old
:13:43. > :13:47.life, a life in bars. I didn't ask who came through the doors whenever
:13:48. > :13:51.the Cayman in order to be served are looking for something to eat. We
:13:52. > :13:55.have to be representative of everyone and take everyone's
:13:56. > :14:01.concerns, worries and fears and bring them up here, thrash it out
:14:02. > :14:05.and begin to deliberate. I look for are you this is an Assembly that can
:14:06. > :14:11.get up and running and make a difference if it does get up and
:14:12. > :14:13.running? There is a lot of fear in politics another Mallard isn't
:14:14. > :14:20.really going anywhere at the moment. We're just treading water.
:14:21. > :14:28.There is a fear there but I am ready to engage. I am more than ready to
:14:29. > :14:33.go out there and do the hard work. To make Northern Ireland work. Every
:14:34. > :14:37.door that a knock-on, I promise to do that I would go out to make
:14:38. > :14:41.Northern Ireland work. It's my home and wants to be represented above.
:14:42. > :14:52.I'm sure that the people that footage for me, I want to know is a
:14:53. > :14:57.costly demand. -- I want to be known as the cost community man. I'm going
:14:58. > :15:04.to run it like the business. That is what I promise was. It would be a
:15:05. > :15:10.huge disappointment for you if this doesn't work. If it doesn't work, is
:15:11. > :15:16.doesn't work. But it would be a huge is a bond for everyone. I wanted to
:15:17. > :15:20.work. I genuinely want the PR image in Ireland today better. We deserve
:15:21. > :15:26.better. The two largest things I believe are coming down is we have
:15:27. > :15:30.Brexit and the health service. I would see that we are against. That
:15:31. > :15:34.was the main concern on the doors. There are other parts of. There are
:15:35. > :15:41.business people that need certainty. They need to see that they are
:15:42. > :15:48.represented. Business itself is a volatile market out there. The world
:15:49. > :15:50.is not waiting for us. It's outside. We've issue of the best. You very
:15:51. > :15:50.much indeed. So, talks to restore
:15:51. > :15:52.devolution are underway. It's been a week since the first
:15:53. > :15:55.meetings between parties took place. James Brokenshire and Charlie
:15:56. > :15:57.Flanagan have been on hand One of the issues that has dogged
:15:58. > :16:04.every Assembly and agreement has been the past and how
:16:05. > :16:06.to deal with it. Today is European Victims' Day
:16:07. > :16:08.and earlier the DUP leader, Arlene Foster, took a break
:16:09. > :16:18.from talks to meet with We'll continue with those talks are
:16:19. > :16:24.today. Dealing with the past and with the legacy is only part of what
:16:25. > :16:28.we have to deal with. It's a very aborted part and one which I
:16:29. > :16:36.personally take a great interest and for obvious reasons. -- it's a very
:16:37. > :16:42.important part. Some people take a very different opinion of things.
:16:43. > :16:51.How do you square between giving people what they want and satisfying
:16:52. > :16:55.Sinn Fein's demands. Is that about opinion, it's about fact. That's the
:16:56. > :16:59.difficulty. Different narratives have arisen in relation to what
:17:00. > :17:06.actually happened. I think we have to get back to the situation. That
:17:07. > :17:12.is that 90% of those that were injured or murdered was by
:17:13. > :17:16.terrorists from Ida Royalists Republicans. That has to be
:17:17. > :17:22.recognised. -- from either royalists or Republicans. There can be no
:17:23. > :17:29.rewriting of the past. One of the issues that we really need to deal
:17:30. > :17:34.with is the definition of a victim. That still continues to cause a
:17:35. > :17:39.great deal of pain and hurt to those people who are innocent victims
:17:40. > :17:44.because on the current definition of a victim, that includes the
:17:45. > :17:53.perpetrator, that is simply wrong. It should not be allowed to stand.
:17:54. > :18:01.On the second week of these talks, what are the chances of a deal being
:18:02. > :18:04.done? We still as a party remain committed to writing the return of
:18:05. > :18:11.devolution because he believes it's the best thing for all of Northern
:18:12. > :18:23.Ireland. We hope that everybody else enters the top with those -- the
:18:24. > :18:30.talks with that focus. Does that in any way make life easier in terms of
:18:31. > :18:33.what you are trying to do? None of easy. What we're focused on is being
:18:34. > :18:36.backed devolution to Northern Ireland. I hope everybody else is
:18:37. > :18:37.focused there as well. Arlene Foster telling Gareth Gordon
:18:38. > :18:39.she's focused on the task ahead. However, when Sinn Fein spoke
:18:40. > :18:51.to reporters earlier the talk wasn't The British Tories are on the verge
:18:52. > :18:54.of triggering Article 50. That is going to take the north out of the
:18:55. > :18:59.EU against the express wishes of the majority of people here. That is
:19:00. > :19:06.also against the express wishes of the more majority of parties across
:19:07. > :19:11.as Ireland. They are continuing to refuse to listen to the majority of
:19:12. > :19:19.use and they are refusing to honour their commitments and agreements.
:19:20. > :19:29.Brexit, as you stated on many occasions, will be a disaster for
:19:30. > :19:35.the economy. For eyes, that increases the urgency for a
:19:36. > :19:39.referendum. The people of Scotland... Brexit has increased the
:19:40. > :19:50.urgency for a unity referendum. We believe that should happen sooner
:19:51. > :19:55.than possible. It's very clear that a lot of conversation has moved on.
:19:56. > :20:02.The wider population is discussing the future constitutional position
:20:03. > :20:03.of the silent as a result of Brexit. -- of this island as a result of
:20:04. > :20:04.Brexit. And away from Stormont
:20:05. > :20:07.the big political story was Scotland's First Minister saying
:20:08. > :20:09.she would ask for permission to hold a second referendum
:20:10. > :20:11.on Scottish independence. You heard Michelle O'Neill say
:20:12. > :20:13.there that Nicola Sturgeon's move had no bearing on Sinn Fein's
:20:14. > :20:16.renewed call for a United Ireland. Over in the grounds
:20:17. > :20:18.of Stormont Castle, the Irish Foreign Minister,
:20:19. > :20:20.Charlie Flanagan, was here again for talks and he was asked
:20:21. > :20:25.for his perspective on the issue. It's not something to which the
:20:26. > :20:30.Irish Government will make a comment either way. On the basis that this
:20:31. > :20:35.is entirely a matter for the people of Scotland and entirely an issue
:20:36. > :20:41.for the British Government and the Scottish administration. However,
:20:42. > :20:44.while I'm silent on the matter of Scotland, that does not pertain to
:20:45. > :20:52.Northern Ireland, where of course I have a stakeholding. Irish
:20:53. > :21:01.Government is cool, two of the Good Friday agreement. As far as a
:21:02. > :21:04.consideration of border controls, these are longer term issues. It's
:21:05. > :21:13.more potent to do with the urgent things. For instance, the
:21:14. > :21:18.administration up and running here and the need to agree a budget. They
:21:19. > :21:23.need to put together a programme for the Government for the people here
:21:24. > :21:29.are not around. Also, the imminent withdrawal of the UK from the
:21:30. > :21:30.European Union. Anything else is premature and for the longer term.
:21:31. > :21:32.Charlie Flanagan talking to reporters this afternoon.
:21:33. > :21:34.And Rick has rejoined me for a final word.
:21:35. > :21:36.Is the renewed debate over Scottish independence likely to influence
:21:37. > :21:45.events in this part of the world over coming months?
:21:46. > :21:51.It's certainly going to give a bit of a sprint to the step of
:21:52. > :21:55.nationalists that are keen to propose and ferment the idea of the
:21:56. > :22:02.border poll. I miss you mean that when she asked for permission, --
:22:03. > :22:10.I'm mushrooming of that when Nicola Sturgeon asks... They have turned or
:22:11. > :22:13.see proposal. Interestingly enough, the polls in Scotland haven't
:22:14. > :22:19.changed very much since the first referendum. For some time, there's
:22:20. > :22:29.been a contingency about the UK as a state. We are a fluid state and not
:22:30. > :22:35.a steady state. What this does is further warbles the extent to which
:22:36. > :22:42.the union can hold. The centrifugal forces are recovered. Whether the
:22:43. > :22:46.centripetal forces are, this will be a consequence of what the outcome of
:22:47. > :22:56.the Brexit negotiations are. Chris saw it has a bearing on out? --
:22:57. > :23:00.sultanate has a bearing on as you? Brexit is not just a small evidently
:23:01. > :23:11.from it large elephant in the room. It dominates. Nobody likes an
:23:12. > :23:17.election more than you and me. The chances of another snap election?
:23:18. > :23:21.I'd be very surprised if Brokenshire takes that step. He has forgotten
:23:22. > :23:29.his opportunity to go to the White House. -- he has forgotten his
:23:30. > :23:37.opportunity. My best guess would be that we have an extended period of
:23:38. > :23:40.talks beyond this. If they fail, I suspect... We will see. Thank you
:23:41. > :23:48.for now. That is it for tonight. Our next scheduled
:23:49. > :23:49.Stormont Today isn't That's the deadline
:23:50. > :23:53.for the nomination of the First Meantime, I'll be back
:23:54. > :23:56.with The View on Thursday night The very embodiment of the England
:23:57. > :24:30.that must emerge. I have my own path to follow.
:24:31. > :24:32.Destiny.