'Jury still out' on new UK government, Michelle O'Neill says

The "jury is inactive out" connected the caller UK government, Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said.

The Sinn Féin vice-president was speaking astatine the party's yearly ard fheis (conference) successful Athlone.

It is Sinn Féin's archetypal league since O'Neill became archetypal curate of the Northern Ireland Executive - the first Irish nationalist to clasp the role.

Calling for a further devolution of powers to Stormont, she said the archetypal actions of the caller Labour authorities person been much "broken promises".

Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions were restored successful February aft a two-year hiatus.

Addressing enactment members connected Friday evening, O'Neill said the 4 parties successful the devolved medication are "working unneurotic with a unity of purpose".

"And we are determined to present bully nationalist services, bully governance, economical maturation and beardown communities that we each beryllium on," she added.

O'Neill said the change of authorities successful July offers "an accidental to amended Irish-British relations".

But she said "the assemblage is surely inactive out" connected however the authorities volition conscionable its commitments nether the Good Friday Agreement.

"Their archetypal actions show much of the aforesaid - failed austerity and breached promises," she added.

Criticising Labour's plans to chopped wintertime substance payments, she said that "financial limitations" placed connected the Stormont enforcement "restrict our quality to beryllium capable to act".

"So further fiscal powers are required," the Sinn Féin lawman person added.

"But it each points to 1 thing. That it's lone done governing ourselves tin we physique a amended future.

"All powers and each decisions should beryllium taken present astatine location connected this island."

In July, Sinn Féin became Northern Ireland's largest enactment astatine Westminster, though its MPs bash not instrumentality their seats.

The Irish enactment enactment is besides the largest astatine Stormont and astatine section assembly level, and is the main absorption enactment successful the Republic of Ireland.

It is aiming for a spot successful the Irish authorities for the archetypal clip pursuing the adjacent wide election, which could beryllium conscionable months away.

But the enactment has slipped successful caller sentiment polls successful the Irish Republic, and underperformed against expectations successful June's section and European elections.

O'Neill said the enactment was "ready to combat the wide predetermination erstwhile it’s called".

She said the party's Westminster occurrence "demonstrates that Sinn Féin tin reaffirm our ngo and that alteration tin happen".

The Sinn Féin lawman person said the party's "goal is simply a united, inclusive Ireland".

In her speech, O'Neill besides called for the government's pledge to repeal the Troubles Legacy Act to beryllium "delivered successful full".

She besides reaffirmed her party's committedness to the Casement Park GAA stadium task successful westbound Belfast.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald is owed to springiness a keynote code to adjacent the ard fheis connected Saturday.

You tin ticker Mary Lou McDonald's code astatine the Sinn Féin Ard Fheis and travel unrecorded sum connected the BBC News NI website from 18:00 BST.