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Mary Lou McDonald hits out at ‘most unfortunate’ snub by Boris Johnson

The UK Prime Minister arrived in Belfast on Friday, but snubbed a request to meet with Ms McDonald and Sinn Fein to discuss legacy issues and Brexit.

By James Ward, PA

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has criticised the “most unfortunate” manner of Boris Johnson’s visit to Northern Ireland.

The UK Prime Minister arrived in Belfast on Friday, but snubbed a meeting with Ms McDonald and Sinn Fein that was requested to discuss legacy issues and the fallout from Brexit.

Stormont’s deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill declined to meet the Prime Minister at all after the request was denied.

However, Mr Johnson did meet with First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Ms McDonald said: “I have to say that the manner in which this visit was planned and conducted was really most unfortunate.

“We have for some time now been seeking a meeting with Boris Johnson.

“We have very substantial and important matters to discuss with him.

“The British government is in default in respect of key commitments that it has made.

“Unfortunately he has not facilitated that meeting.

“He did meet with the leader of the DUP, who suggested that we might cooperate in a photo-op in Belfast, but that was never going to happen.

“We have serious business to transact with Boris Johnson, so we will be reaching out to Downing Street again, and seeking that meeting without further delay.”

Ms McDonald said Mr Johnson was trying to “evade his responsibilities” over investigating legacy killings in Northern Ireland and the implementation of the Brexit protocol.

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She said: “It’s not a case to me being disappointed.

“The facts are that we have serious matters to deal with.

“You’ll have seen today that the Council of Europe have reopened the case of the killing of Pat Finucane.

“We have very serious issues in respect of legacy, dealing with the past.

“Serious commitments entered into by the British government not more than a year ago, in respect of those matters and we expect them to be delivered.

“We also want to discuss with him the matter of the protocol, the manner in which he has behaved in respect of that.”

She added: “I certainly think that the British government, and the British Prime Minister is trying to evade his responsibilities.

“I think that’s for sure.

“I know that there are serious matters that we have agreed and that have not been delivered, and I am absolutely determined that the British government will act in good faith and will measure up to the commitments that they entered into with us just over a year ago.

“As you can imagine, meeting with the leader of the DUP, the manner of the visit today gives a very clear signal as to what the priorities of Boris Johnson are.

“I am saying that he needs to reorientate his efforts and his approach and recognise that he will not get away with bad faith actions.”

On Friday, Mr Johnson joined Health Minister Robin Swann, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken and Mrs Foster at a vaccine centre in Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen, which is in her Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency.

In a statement, Ms O’Neill said: “Mary Lou McDonald and myself have a long-standing request to meet with the British Prime Minister to discuss a number of commitments which he and his Government have reneged on in the New Decade New Approach over this past year, and also his reckless and partisan approach to the Irish Protocol.

“He did not facilitate the meeting.

“I have no plans to meet with him today.”

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