The North’s political leaders have been urged to meet “quietly and privately” to resolve their differences instead of attempting to elect an Assembly speaker on Wednesday.
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MLA Mike Nesbitt made the appeal during a special Stormont recall on Tuesday to pay tribute to former first minister David Trimble.
The Assembly will sit at noon on Wednesday in what will be the third bid to elect a speaker and restore the powersharing institutions since May’s elections.
Stormont effectively collapsed when the DUP refused to nominate a speaker and deputy speaker as part of its ongoing protest against the Northern Ireland protocol.
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The SDLP has tabled a motion on the cost-of-living crisis, calling on Ministers to support the introduction of direct support schemes for struggling households.
However, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has made clear his party will not return until their concerns about the post-Brexit trade deal are addressed — meaning that the motion cannot go ahead and all Assembly business will be halted.
The controversial protocol Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons last month and will go to the House of Lords in the autumn.
SDLP South Belfast MLA Matthew O’Toole, who has been nominated by his party leader to lead an official opposition at Stormont, described the current deadlock as “outrageously cruel” during an economic crisis.
“The challenge that the SDLP Opposition will make to the DUP is simple: get back to work or explain yourselves to the thousands of families who have been held to ransom for the last 90 days,” he said.
“The excuses about the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill have evaporated now that the legislation has passed its Commons stages.
“Continuing to deny people urgent support is unethical, immoral and outrageously cruel.”
Mr Nesbitt was unsuccessfully nominated for the role of speaker on the previous two Assembly recalls and questioned why it was happening again.
“It’s not going to go anywhere. Everybody knows it’s not going to go anywhere. So we question the point of doing this.
“I think what would be better than a show, a public show in that chamber, is party leaders getting together quietly and privately, and trying to resolve the differences.
“We have challenges. We don’t have crises at the moment. Let’s deal with the challenges.”
MLAs from across the political spectrum praised Nobel laureate David Trimble’s central role in the peace process during Tuesday’s sitting.
Mr Trimble (77) died last week and was a principal architect of the Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday agreement.
Mr Nesbitt added: “There is only one fitting tribute to David Trimble and that is for all of us here at Stormont to get the institutions back up and running again, to deal with the issues including the protocol and to deal with everything that we have to deal with.”
Sinn Féin vice-president and first minister-designate Michelle O’Neill said it would be a “travesty” if powersharing was not restored before the 25th anniversary of the historic peace agreement next year.
“History will be kind to David Trimble for the huge part he played, but it will be unforgiving to those of you who obstruct progress or refuse to show leadership,” she said.
“What was achieved by David Trimble together with the leaders of nationalism and republicanism, the Irish and British governments, the United States and the EU cannot be underestimated. It can never be taken for granted.
“He and all of them leave a legacy for which any politician would be rightly proud.
“The Good Friday agreement is a gift to today’s generation and its promise must be fully realised.
“I stand here today as a leader of the Good Friday agreement generation, and I want to lead and work with you all and those whom you represent.
“Anyone who sets out to undermine this work and turns this place upside down should not be in politics.”
