Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill

Debate between Lord Dodds of Duncairn and Nick Boles

Ping Pong: House of Commons
Thursday 18th July 2019 Commons Chamber

[Nigel Dodds (Belfast North) (DUP)]

I want to get back to the Bill’s original purpose. Representatives from Northern Ireland and our constituents have forcefully made the point that it is very disconcerting that a Bill that extends two dates to allow for talks, which are already under way, has been, in the words of my hon. Friend the Member for North Antrim (Ian Paisley), hijacked for other purposes. Some of the debates are not even on issues that directly affect Northern Ireland, such as the change to the definition of marriage and the massive change on abortion, an issue on which there are strong feelings across the board—cross-party and cross-community—in Northern Ireland. Those views differ from those of the proponents—

[Nick Boles (Grantham and Stamford) (Ind)]

rose—