Naomi Long pulls out of Ireland's Future event sparking widespread reaction

Naomi Long has caused a stir after she announced that she will no longer be participating in next week's Ireland's Future event at the SSE Arena and will be replaced by North Belfast MLA Nuala McAllister.

Ms Long had previously said that she was "looking forward" to taking part in a discussion at the event with other speakers on the line-up including Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald and SDLP's Claire Hanna. This came after her party snubbed an invitation to participate in a similar event held by Ireland's Future in Dublin back in 2022.

Now, the Alliance Party have said that Naomi Long will not be attending the event.

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"Unfortunately, due to the snap election and short nature of the campaign, Naomi Long's diary has had to see a number of last-minute changes and therefore is unable to participate in this event due to other pressing commitments," a party spokesperson confirmed.

Reacting to the news, The SDLP's Matthew O'Toole said that the Alliance leader's claim that she cannot find time to participate in an event on Irish unity during the general election campaign but can remain as full-time Justice Minister is "taking voters for fools."

"The Alliance Party is entitled to have no position on whether we rejoin the EU via a new Ireland, but voters deserve better than the wink/nudge opportunism its leader is indulging. At times Alliance representatives are keen to associate themselves with the conversation on our future, at other times they seem to tactically run from it and on other occasions they revert to implying that anyone with any constitutional aspiration is sectarian and tribal," he said.

"Many voters of all perspectives will reflect on the decision to pull out of this event - an hour's commitment inside Naomi Long's constituency - and ask why it was an impossible ask but overseeing the entire criminal justice system is perfectly manageable alongside the campaign. This claim is simply not credible and taking voters of all perspectives for fools. Naomi's claim of an election campaign clash is rendered even more absurd by the fact that her replacement, Nuala McAllister, is a candidate in the same election.

"On the day we should have been voting for MEPs, the SDLP is clear in its aspiration to return to the European Union. We are passionate about that vision and would urge voters who share that aspiration to send SDLP MPs back to Westminster to make that case."

Meanwhile, the DUP's Gordon Lyons said Naomi Long has further questions to answer about agreeing to attend the event in the first place.

Mr Lyons said: “Naomi Long should explain why she ever agreed to attend the Ireland’s Future anti-unionist event. Ireland’s Future exists to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom.

"Alliance clearly thought it was ok to attend the event when there was no election but now won’t attend and don’t want people to see them attending and partaking in Pro-Republican platforms and propaganda.

"The Alliance Party makes great play of its supposed constitutional neutrality, yet their actions tell a story of being Sinn Fein’s wee helpers. This was confirmed when Sinn Fein withdrew from constituencies to help Alliance candidates.

"Naomi Long says she has time to be a candidate and Justice Minister but no time to do this anti-unionist event. Unionists throughout Northern Ireland know exactly why the Alliance Party has pulled out of this event. They shouldn’t be played for fools.”

Responding to Naomi Long's announcement, Ireland's Future Secretary Niall Murphy said: “It is unfortunate that Naomi Long has indicated she is no longer available to participate in the Pathway to Change event at the SSE arena. Ireland’s Future regrets that this is the case.”

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