I will not stand by as progress in Northern Ireland is frustrated – Naomi Long

Naomi Long has said she will not “stand by” as progress in Northern Ireland is frustrated and stymied.

The Alliance leader and Stormont Justice Minister addressed her party’s annual conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belfast on Saturday.

Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester who is seen as a possible challenger to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, also addressed the conference, which has the theme “hope not fear”.

Mrs Long began her speech by thanking Mr Burnham for his attendance.

She said: “As someone from a northern industrial town, who grew up in a two-up two-down that opened straight out onto the street, I wonder if some of those in power are worried about the power they would unlock if people like us actually got our hands on some of the power that they like to hang on to.”

Mrs Long reflected on 25 years since she was first elected and almost 10 years since she became party leader, before criticising US President Donald Trump and warning the Alliance Party’s place in the powersharing Executive should not be taken for granted.

Mrs Long made similar comments during an interview with the Press Association during the week, where she said she would step away from the Executive if she believed that it had become too “threadbare” to deliver for people.

Speaking on Saturday, she pledged she would not to “stand by” as progress was frustrated and that she was confident her party was “best-placed to lead us forward”.

“As someone who grew up during the Troubles, I will never take our progress for granted, but equally I will also not stand by while others rest on their laurels or frustrate progress,” Mrs Long said.

She said that if they reach a point where the party’s key priorities are “stymied by vetoes and frustrated by heel-dragging”, then she would be “advocating a change in direction”.

“Our continued participation in the Executive cannot and should not be taken for granted.”

Mrs Long said Alliance were an “optimistic” party and that the progress made by Northern Ireland to date had been built on “hope, not fear”.

She said the party had proved its critics “wrong” to become the third largest party in Stormont and said they would not “entertain their counsel of doom”.

“Of course, there will always be those who seek to talk down our achievements or suggest that our progress is unsustainable.

“What they have failed to grasp every time is that Alliance success isn’t merely a party political phenomenon: it reflects the positive and progressive change happening outside rooms like these, in our communities.”

In relation to international affairs, Mrs Long said the party was not attending the White House for St Patrick’s Day celebrations as Mr Trump is someone who “engages in race-baiting” and calls female journalists “piggy”.

“As someone who believes in democracy, freedom and peace, why would I want to spend time with someone who threatens the global order and stability?” she said.

“As someone whose family fought in the Second World War, why would I want to engage a man who so disgracefully disrespected war veterans and continues to threaten US traditional allies?

“Trump may not have standards: we do.”

She said it was important that the party “speak up and speak out for” their values at home and abroad, and warned against viewing “every international conflict through the lens of our local divisions” in Northern Ireland.

She said the lack of “meaningful” sanctions for Russia’s breaches of international law in Ukraine had “paved the way for further illegal wars” and that the US and Israel “waging a war of choice on Iran” had serious implications for the world.

She said it was “simplistic and crass” to expect people to “pick a side” on conflicts as if it was a sport or game.

She said: “We need to articulate that, just as it is possible both to agree that Hamas are a terrorist regime and that that Israeli government is engaged in genocide; it is possible to abhor the human rights abuses, murders and oppression of opponents by the Iranian regime whilst also acknowledging the recent military action by the US and Israel is contrary to international law, as are the random retaliatory strikes by Iran.”

Mrs Long received applause in the room after her comments on the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.