With a DUP speaker in the chair at Stormont again, it will be interesting to see how he deals with live tweeting the allocation of Ministries via d’Hondt before anything is presented to the Assembly. In many previously instances he has aped the protocols and expectations of Westminster when it comes to Stormont standards – Government announcing key decisions outside the House has long been a bone of contention at Westminster.
Their Speaker previously had this to say:
Ministers ought to make key statements to the House before they are made elsewhere.”—[Official Report, 24 June 2010; Vol. 494, c. 798.]
If they do otherwise, I—and, I am sure, the House—will expect to hear explanations and apologies as necessary.
In a Parliament where only 3 members aren’t part of the Government maybe such ideas as respecting the body of elected members isn’t as important? It’s up to Mr Hay to decide, though I’m sure the Mr Allister will add his tuppence – or does the Assembly already have rules on accepting being treated with contempt?
(Note: Mr Hay may have already spoken on this area – send me the link if you’ve got one)
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