McGuinness: We don’t need minister

MARTIN McGuinness has called on people in Britain to press the government to end its constitutional link with Northern Ireland.

Sinn Fein’s deputy first minister with the power-sharing executive in Belfast also questioned the need for the continued existence of a Northern Ireland Secretary.

The transfer of remaining powers would be a massive vote of confidence in the political institutions as well as a large saving to the Exchequer.

In an address at the London School of Economics, Mr McGuinness declared: “As Ian Paisley said to me during our first meeting ‘Martin, we can rule ourselves, we do not need these direct rule ministers coming over here telling us what to do’.”

Northern Ireland has had a Secretary of State since 1972.