Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has warned that her party’s participation in the Stormont Executive should not be assumed as guaranteed if political gridlock continues to limit progress at the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The East Belfast MLA, who serves as Minister of Justice in Northern Ireland/The North, made the remarks while addressing delegates at the Alliance Party annual conference in Belfast. Speaking to members, Long said Alliance had entered government to deliver real change but would not remain indefinitely if the party’s ability to act was repeatedly blocked.
She told the conference that Alliance currently holds two ministerial positions within the Stormont Executive, but stressed that the party’s continued role in government depended on whether meaningful progress could be achieved on key policy priorities.
Long warned that the use of political vetoes and delays by other parties within the power-sharing system could eventually force Alliance to reconsider its position in government.
“Our continued participation in the Executive cannot and should not be taken for granted,” she said. “Compromise is necessary in a power-sharing system, but there comes a point where compromise becomes stagnation if progress is continually blocked.”
The Justice Minister also criticised the instability that has repeatedly affected the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, noting that prolonged political crises ultimately impact ordinary people through pressures on healthcare, public services and economic stability.
Long said that while the institutions created under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement had once seemed impossible to achieve, their success should not simply be measured by whether they exist. Instead, she said Stormont must demonstrate that it can deliver practical improvements in the lives of people across Northern Ireland/The North.
The Alliance leader also addressed suggestions that the party’s electoral growth may have plateaued following its record performance in the 2022 Assembly election, when it became the third-largest party at Stormont. Long rejected that claim, saying the party’s support reflected a growing section of society that wants politics to move beyond traditional constitutional divisions.
She said Alliance would continue working within the Executive but warned that voters ultimately expected results rather than political stalemate.
Long concluded by telling delegates that the party’s role in government would always depend on whether it could deliver meaningful outcomes for communities across Northern Ireland/The North, rather than simply occupying ministerial positions.
