Naomi Long: 'Stable government needed without excuses or delay'

Failure to reform Stormont is "condemning devolution to death by a thousand collapses", the Alliance Party leader has said.

Naomi Long was speaking in a keynote address to her party conference.

It was the party's first conference since last May's election, when Alliance became the third largest party in the assembly.

She told members Northern Ireland wants a "stable functioning government" without excuses or delay.

Mrs Long said change is needed to the political institutions, as Northern Ireland marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

"The fact that the institutions are suspended for at least the third time, and the second time since 2017, is irrefutable evidence that real change is needed," she said.

• Watch: Naomi Long's conference speech

The Alliance leader claimed her party's proposals for reform "remove the right of any one party to deny the people of Northern Ireland a government".

Ms Long alleged the case for reform was "indisputable and yet it is still resisted".

The Alliance Party won an historic 17 seats in last May's assembly election

The Belfast East assembly member also spoke about the Windsor Framework, a post-Brexit deal agreed by the EU and the UK last Monday.

She discussed the Stormont brake - a mechanism aimed to give assembly members at Stormont a say on future EU law.

She told activists that this new procedure must not be abused nor create "more instability and further opportunity for stand-offs and walk-outs".

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The day-long event at a Belfast hotel also included a speech by the party's deputy leader, Stephen Farry.

Northern Ireland needs an "opportunity to restructure and rebuild", the North Down MP told members.

He said there must be an ability to reduce the costs of division and duplication.

Northern Ireland needs economic assistance from the UK, the Irish government, the EU and the United States, Mr Farry added.

And he called for the establishment of a new Public Service Transformation Fund looking at areas such as health, education and infrastructure.

First conference since historic election

Activists discussed a range of issues at the party's annual conference.

These included the state of healthcare across Northern Ireland, local government, sustainable transport, low income, integrated education and early learning.

The event was the first since last year's assembly election, when Alliance became the third largest party at Stormont.

Alliance won 17 seats - an increase of nine seats on their result in 2017.

This year's event included a special session marking the Good Friday Agreement's anniversary.

It featured Stephen Grimason, who reported on events in April 1998 as BBC Northern Ireland's political editor.

The conference was opened and closed by former leader David Ford, who is currently the party's president.