Ian Paisley: DUP MP introduces Referendum Supermajority bill

A bill that would require a larger majority to permit UK constitutional change has been introduced to parliament by the DUP.

The Referendums (Supermajority) Bill was brought forward by North Antrim MP Ian Paisley on Tuesday.

The bill would apply across the country including any future united-Ireland vote or a Scottish referendum poll.

At present, such referendums would require a majority of 50% plus one.

However, the Alliance Party has branded the bill a "stunt" and said it "would never be debated".

Speaking on the BBC's Nolan Show, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP Ian Paisley said the bill "addresses the issue of major constitutional change".

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"This is about making sure that there has to be stability in that process," he said.

"You can't just have a crisis that moves a divided territory into another divided territory."

According to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, there would be no change to Northern Ireland's constitutional status without the consent of a majority of people of Northern Ireland.

However, Mr Paisley said a weighted majority of more than 50% plus one in a referendum would show "overwhelming consent".

The bill has the support of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Mr Paisley added.

'Going absolutely nowhere'

But the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MP Claire Hanna said the bill will "never be debated".

Ms Hanna said it was "essentially just a trolling exercise from someone who has decided against being a serious political actor".

The Alliance Party MP, Stephen Farry, described the bill as a "stunt" which will "never be debated, never mind voted upon in Parliament".

"This is going absolutely nowhere," he told BBC News NI.

If passed, the bill would also affect a vote on Scottish independence.