LISTEN: Julian Smith: Next NI Assembly election should be postponed for a year

by PA and Q Radio News.

Former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith gave evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of MPs on Thursday.

He said Northern Ireland's next Assembly election should be postponed for a year because of the coronavirus crisis.

More time is needed to tackle educational inequality and address housing shortages once the devolved administration's focus shifts from defeating the infection, he added.

The next Stormont poll is due in 2022 and Julian Smith said devolved ministers needed an extended period to realise their priorities for Government.

"I think giving this Executive and Assembly time would help," he said.

After a "decent" period voters may be able to take part in a more meaningful election, he said.

Julian Smith, Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon, said: "People want their services to work and Northern Ireland does work but I genuinely think that now we have had this crisis we do need to provide time to get those things improved.

"The overarching improvements in healthcare, the need to start delivering on City Deals (regenerating greater Belfast and Londonderry) and infrastructure projects and the need to look at education and educational inequalities that still exist, the housing deficit."

Speaking to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Julian Smith acknowledged that polls tend to be dominated by constitutional questions surrounding Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

"I think that as a result of Covid many things that would have happened in the Executive in the weeks following the restoration have obviously been delayed," he said.

"I pay tribute to the fact they have done a budget.

"I do think that the trust issue and building of capacity amongst Northern Ireland politicians is important but more importantly the thing that gave me confidence during this period was listening to voters."