Debate contribution: Appointment of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 3 February 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Assembly Business
- Heading
- Appointment of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4255147
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Thank you, Mr Speaker. It would be remiss of me not to begin by congratulating you and assuring you that I am not about to burst into a chorus of that great 1976 hit 'It Should Have Been Me'.
I also congratulate the new First Minister and deputy First Minister and welcome their initial remarks, which I think we can all buy into. I see that Mr Muir has a copy of the 1998 agreement, and that reminds me of the initial commitment that is in that agreement. On a day when we are all making pledges, perhaps we should pledge to recommit ourselves to the declaration of support in that agreement, where we pledge to take a fresh opportunity and a fresh start so that we can have relationships that are built on tolerance of each other, on reconciliation of building mutual trust and, above all, on demonstrating mutual respect. It seems to me that those values are the only solid foundation on which to go forward. Over the past couple of years, of course, we have missed opportunities to build those relationships, not just here in the Chamber but at the various Committees, where I think that those relationships are built and where we best get the opportunity to understand each other and what we are trying to achieve. Of course, through our Ministers, in our relationship with the Government of Ireland, we have missed out on the North/South Ministerial Council, where Ministers come together and understand each other. This is an opportunity to make those pledges, and I wish everybody well. I look forward to finding out who the Ministers will be in support of the First Minister and the deputy First Minister. Mr Speaker, I do not know what other Members' plans are for private Members' Bills, but I assure colleagues that, as soon as you call a break, I will be heading for the Bill Office like Usain Bolt or, as it might be more accurate to say, like Usain Bolt's grandad.
337 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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