East Antrim MLA John Stewart warns against undermining Belfast Agreement safeguards amid calls for reform of the institutions. Mr Stewart said that Attempts to dilute Belfast Agreement's cross-community protections in face of 'pan nationalist front should be something of concern for Unionists, following a SDLP motion last week on reform of the current system which requires cross-community support for a motion to remove a minister from office.

John Stewart MLA a member of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee said,

“Our party remains firmly committed to the principles of the Belfast Agreement, particularly the cross-community protections that ensure fairness and mutual respect in our institutions. These safeguards were designed to prevent one community from imposing its will on another, and any attempt to dilute them, especially in the face of a pan nationalist front should be something of concern for Unionists. The SDLP’s support for excluding a unionist minister without any breach of the Ministerial Code or the law sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the very protections that underpin power sharing. It is precisely this kind of behaviour that erodes public confidence and fuels instability.

“Calls for reform must not be used as a vehicle to advance partisan agendas. As I said in the Assembly, even the authors of the Agreement expected it to evolve but evolution must come through cross-party consensus, not nationalist dominance. Reforming institutions without unionist input is not only irresponsible, it risks destabilising the delicate balance that has sustained peace for over 25 years. In fact, you need see what has happened in the past. On the three occasions when fundamental changes were made to the Belfast Agreement, whether at St Andrews, at Stormont House or in New Decade, New Approach, not everyone was involved. In those times of crisis, changes were often made to the Agreement to appease those causing the disruption, rather than to strengthen our institutions. I will also say this that there is no appetite from either the British or Irish Governments for further changes, and rightly so.”