Claire Hanna

Claire Hanna

Social Democratic & Labour Party — Belfast South and Mid Down

Speaking in the House of Commons on 11 November 2026

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Humour me for a moment and imagine that one party in this Parliament could, if it did not like the way the political winds were blowing, refuse to take part and bring Westminster to a standstill. That would be unthinkable here, but in Stormont the abnormal has become routine. We have watched parties taking turns at collapsing government for years at a time. We have watched policies blocked not by the strength of an argument, but by vetoes that were designed for inclusion. It seems like dysfunction is easier than actually doing the work, and ordinary people are paying the price. Wherever you want to go constitutionally, the path is through making a fist of things and offering people a decent life. It is worth saying that every poll shows that more people are working towards a new Ireland. Stormont is in its dying days if urgent steps are not taken to make it more productive and stable. Will the Prime Minister commit to working with us and others on a politics for the common good to end the cycle of dysfunction and despair?

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