Naomi Long: 'Stable government needed without excuses or delay'

Failure to reform Stormont is "condemning devolution to death by a thousand collapses", the Alliance Party leader will say later.

Naomi Long is to address her party conference in a keynote address.

It will be the party's first conference since last May's election, when Alliance became the third largest party in the assembly.

She will tell members Northern Ireland wants a "stable functioning government" without excuses or delay.

Mrs Long is also expected to say change is needed to the political institutions, as Northern Ireland marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

"The fact that the institutions are suspended for at least the third time, and the second time since 2017, is irrefutable evidence that real change is needed," she is expected to comment.

The Alliance leader will also claim her party's proposals for reform "remove the right of any one party to deny the people of Northern Ireland a government".

Ms Long alleges the case for reform is "indisputable and yet it is still resisted".

The Belfast East assembly member will also speak about the Windsor Framework, a post-Brexit deal agreed by the EU and the UK last Monday.

She will discuss the Stormont brake - a mechanism aimed to give assembly members at Stormont a say on future EU law.

She will tell activists that this new procedure must not be abused nor create "more instability and further opportunity for stand-offs and walk-outs".

The day-long event at a Belfast hotel will also include a speech by the party's deputy leader, Stephen Farry.

Northern Ireland needs an "opportunity to restructure and rebuild", the North Down MP will tell members later.

He will say there must be an ability to reduce the costs of division and duplication.

Northern Ireland needs economic assistance from the UK, the Irish government, the EU and the United States, Mr Farry will say.

A call for the establishment of a new Public Service Transformation Fund looking at areas such as health, education and infrastructure will also be included in the deputy leader's speech.

Activists will also discuss a range of issues at the party's annual conference.

These include the state of healthcare across Northern Ireland, local government, sustainable transport, low income, integrated education and early learning.

The event will be the first since last year's assembly election, when Alliance became the third largest party at Stormont.

Alliance won 17 seats - an increase of nine seats on their result in 2017.

At this year's event there will also be a special session marking the Good Friday Agreement's anniversary.

It will feature Stephen Grimason, who reported on events in April 1998 as BBC Northern Ireland's political editor.

The conference will be opened and closed by former leader David Ford, who is currently the party's president.

You can watch the party leader's speech on the BBC News NI website and iPlayer from midday.