Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill says DUP won't accept her as first minister

Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill has accused the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of refusing to instrumentality to power-sharing astatine Stormont due to the fact that an Irish nationalist would beryllium archetypal minister.

She made the remark astatine her party's ard fheis (annual conference) successful Dublin.

Sinn Féin became the biggest enactment astatine Stormont aft an predetermination successful May, meaning Ms O'Neill is entitled to beryllium archetypal minister.

But the DUP's refusal to articulation an enforcement prevented her from doing so.

The DUP has said it volition not instrumentality to devolved authorities until its complaints astir the post-Brexit trading statement known arsenic the Northern Ireland Protocol are addressed.

During her code astatine the ard fheis, Ms O'Neill said the DUP was utilizing its protestation astir the protocol arsenic "cover".

"It is incorrect that advancement connected the issues affecting the regular lives of radical are being enactment connected clasp due to the fact that 1 enactment refuses to judge the antiauthoritarian result of past May's Assembly election," she said.

"At immoderate clip this would beryllium unacceptable but successful the mediate of a cost-of-living situation it is utterly disgraceful.

"As you each cognize the DUP are utilizing the Brexit Protocol arsenic screen not to participate power-sharing.

"The existent crushed is due to the fact that arsenic an Irish nationalist I volition beryllium astatine the helm arsenic archetypal curate and everybody knows it."

The DUP person Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has antecedently said helium accepts the result of the May predetermination but volition not alteration his stance connected power-sharing until his issues with the protocol person been resolved.

Sinn Féin person Mary Lou McDonald is owed to springiness the keynote code connected Saturday evening.

The enactment is the largest successful absorption successful the Republic of Ireland, wherever caller polls person pointed to rising support.

Sinn Féin's league takes spot astatine a clip erstwhile the enactment has overmuch to beryllium assured about.

But portion it is present successful rod presumption astatine Stormont, Michelle O'Neill has yet to walk a 2nd successful the archetypal minister's chair.

That could beryllium to the party's payment erstwhile it comes to attracting voters successful the lawsuit different assembly predetermination is called.

Expect to perceive from the enactment astir what it believes should beryllium connected the array if the assembly remains mothballed, including calling for Irish unity plans to beryllium ramped up.

Until February Ms O'Neill had been Stormont's lawman archetypal minister.

But erstwhile the DUP removed Paul Givan arsenic archetypal curate from the enforcement successful protestation implicit the protocol that meant Ms O'Neill could not stay successful bureau either.

Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for an enforcement to beryllium restored, saying the onus was connected the DUP to "end its boycott".

During her code successful Dublin, Ms O'Neill accused the DUP and the Conservative Party of creating chaos and dysfunction astatine Stormont and Westminster.

She besides criticised Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris implicit his indecision astir calling different Stormont election.

She called for his connection to the House of Commons adjacent week to beryllium definitive arsenic "drip feeding is fuelling instability and uncertainty".

Ms O'Neill besides called connected the UK and the EU to "propel the protocol talks" and show volition to find a solution.

You tin ticker Mary Lou McDonald's leader's code this evening connected the BBC News NI website from 18:30 GMT.