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Category: Northern Ireland

  • Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on Adult and Social Care Services

    Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on Adult and Social Care Services

    The comments made by Colm Gildernew, the Sinn Fein MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, on 12 October 2022.

    The Adult and Social Care sector is provided by community organisations who support vulnerable people to live independently.

    We have heard that the services they provide are under huge pressure and on the brink of collapse.

    The negative impact of this failure is being felt by patients and their families who are not getting the respite they need.

    It is shameful for the DUP to sit on their hands while people are being forced to remain in hospital beds, which are sorely needed.

    Many health and social care workers are facing burnout as they struggle to support a health service which is already on its knees.

    They need immediate support.

    The DUP should respect the democratic outcome of the Assembly election and work with others to help fix the health service.

    Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive today to invest an extra £1 billion in the health service over a three-year budget, to tackle waiting lists, recruit more doctors and nurses and support and support mental health and cancer services.

  • Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Need for Executive to Protect Jobs

    Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Need for Executive to Protect Jobs

    The comments made by Caoimhe Archibald, the Sinn Fein MLA for East Londonderry, on 11 October 2022.

    The latest monthly outlook from Ulster Bank paints a bleak picture of the impacts of the soaring costs on doing business.

    Stark figures from NISRA have also outlined a decrease in the monthly number of employees on pay rolls, falling for the first time in over a year.

    Sinn Féin has consistently called on the British government to act to support businesses and they have failed to do anything.

    Instead, the Tory chancellor announced an outrageous mini-Budget that will cost businesses even more through unaffordable borrowing costs.

    We need an Executive formed now to immediately protect jobs and support businesses.

    The DUP’s boycott has blocked any efforts by local ministers to support businesses while they have also undermined the opportunities afforded by the Protocol to create jobs.

    Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive today to support workers, families and businesses through this crisis.

  • Maurice Morrow – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference (Lord Morrow)

    Maurice Morrow – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference (Lord Morrow)

    The speech made by Maurice Morrow, Lord Morrow, on 8 October 2022.

    Good morning, everybody,

    I am delighted to be able to welcome you all to the Crowne Plaza hotel for our Annual Conference.

    It is wonderful to see you all again after the hardships of the last few years. It is hard to believe that this is our first conference since 2019. I would like to say at the outset how sorry I was to learn of the passing of a number of colleagues, from across the country, during this time and I today we remember their contributions and our thoughts and prayers are with their families.

    Last September the Democratic Unionist Party marked its 50th anniversary – a major milestone in the history of our Party. These celebrations allowed us to reflect on past achievements and remember fondly those who served our cause with distinction down through the years.

    So today we look forward. This conference gives us an opportunity to meet and enjoy fellowship with friends and colleagues, to welcome new members and to go away re-energised ahead of the Local Government elections in May next year as well as the political battles that lie ahead.

    I am delighted to see many new faces that have joined our Party. As Chairman I regularly have the joy of interviewing candidates seeking elected office and on each occasion it is clear that we have members coming forward who are keen to serve.

    New blood is essential if we are to grow and thrive. I want to extend a special welcome to those who are joining us here for the first time today. I trust you will enjoy your first experience of the DUP conference.

    Over the course of the day we will hear from DUP elected representatives at each level of government. This will include a vibrant mix of youth and experience. We also look forward to hearing from our external panellists who are most welcome as they join with us

    You will see from the programme that we have several policy sessions lined up for later in the day, and I would encourage you to go along and listen to the panels. There is an opportunity to input and I know my colleagues in the policy unit would appreciate hearing your views and opinions.

    We will also hear from local councillors this morning and as we look forward to the elections next year, I would ask that you listen carefully and those of you who are thinking of putting your name forward this is your chance to hear directly what is involved from those who already serve.

    I would like to express my appreciation to all those who are engaged in the battle against the Protocol at this time. It is a heinous imposition on the people of Northern Ireland and we will be standing strong for our cause. Let me make it clear unless the Protocol is replaced there will be no prospect of this Party taking up places in a Stormont Executive. We will judge the Government on actions not words and we will not be following any timeline set by those who do not have Northern Ireland’s interests at their heart.

    We will open this morning with a video presentation to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, followed by a minute’s silence for both Her Majesty and those friends and colleagues no longer with us.

    This will be followed by our opening session, a panel discussion in the main hall on the issue of childcare and early years. This is one of the most important issues facing us at present and I look forward to hearing our contributors.

    Following this session Michelle McIlveen MLA, our Education Minister, will speak.

    I would also encourage you to support our conference charity this year, the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. You will all know of the fantastic work the Hospice does and I know everyone here will give generously.

    Finally let me put on record our thanks to the hotel management and staff for all their help, both last night and today. It is very much appreciated.

    I trust you will have an enjoyable conference

    Good morning.

  • Gordon Lyons – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    Gordon Lyons – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    The speech made by Gordon Lyons, the Director of Elections, on 8 October 2022.

    Mr Chairman

    I am delighted to be able to address conference following a three-year absence. It is good to be able to have our full programme of political activities within the Party recommenced.

    As the Party’s Director of Elections, working with colleagues across the Party I am determined that we remain focused and ever ready for the election battles ahead.

    Let it never be said that elections don’t matter or don’t have consequences. Of course they do and the choices made at the polls determine and shape Northern Ireland’s future.

    When the DUP win elections, everyone wins.

    We don’t simply pursue a narrow party political agenda; we work for the benefit of everyone in Northern Ireland.

    Look what happened in 2017. After an election that resulted in a hung Parliament – we delivered positive change and secured an additional £1 billion through the Confidence and Supply Agreement.

    It was the DUP that secured a £165 million broadband scheme that has literally changed lives for those living and working in rural communities.

    Every time we see a Fibrus van anywhere across Northern Ireland – we are reminded that because of the DUP, 88,000 homes will have access to superfast broadband, placing Northern Ireland amongst the most connected countries anywhere in the world.

    The DUP alone secured an additional £200 million to support health and social care transformation, with 100 million pounds provided to make a more immediate impact on health and education pressures.

    We also secured £50m to deliver vital mental health services over a five-year period to people affected right across the Province.

    The DUP successfully lobbied for the City and Growth Deals; securing some £1.2 billion capital funding for the next fifteen years to help drive economic growth and prosperity across the various projects in NI

    During the course of the last Assembly mandate, it was this Party that led on protecting jobs and livelihoods during the Covid-19 pandemic;

    Delivering £286m Economic Recovery Action Plan,

    The hugely successful £145m High Street Scheme,

    And plans that will move our economy and our country forward.

    Working alongside the UK Government we have also ensured that energy support payments, vital during this cost of living crisis, are delivered in the same way, and at the same time, as elsewhere in the UK.

    We know that when we make Northern Ireland work, when we make the Union work, everyone wins.

    Compare and contrast that to Sinn Fein

    Though they played it down, we warned that Sinn Fein in pole position would use the outcome to call for a divisive border poll. The results were barely in when the international champagne popping Mary Lou McDonald was telling the world’s media that it was time for a referendum, and not a day passes without one of their representatives smugly calling for it.

    Look around at what Sinn Fein does when they have majority control of local councils. Banning the sale of poppies, refusing to acknowledge unionist culture and offering little recognition of those things that as unionists we cherish.

    Even today, when virtually nobody wants to see the end of the grace periods and mitigations, and we want to see the Protocol replaced, Sinn Fein representatives still call for the rigorous implementation of a Protocol that is anathema to unionists.

    Of course they are not alone with the choir of Protocol cheerleading Alliance Party.

    Stephen Farry, who previously wanted to ban the Linfield strip, also seems intent on fully implementing a Protocol that has added to the cost of living crisis and which has negatively impacted many businesses and crippled consumer choice in Northern Ireland.

    I am sure that it hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that the Sinn Fein Northern Ireland Leader, Michelle O’Neill, has self styled herself as a ‘First minister for all’.

    Really?

    Behind the spin lie many uncomfortable and ugly truths about Sinn Fein.

    From Barry McIlduff mocking the victims of the Kingsmill massacre, countless stories about internal bullying and intimidation, to disgusting sectarian, misogynistic and derogatory social media outbursts, Sinn Fein continues to act only in the interests of themselves.

    Michelle O’Neill continues to justify and glorify IRA terrorism; falsely stating that there was no alternative to the bloody and indiscriminate violence of the Provisional IRA.

    Sinn Fein blocked a victims pension scheme, simply because a handful of convicted IRA terrorists would have been excluded.

    Despite their outcries now, it was SF who blocked the formation of an Executive – not because of an issue that impacts everyone – but in their pursuit of their narrow agenda.

    Two elected representatives pocketed COVID money when they knew they shouldn’t have received it.

    At Stormont, Sinn Fein couldn’t bring themselves to demonstrate respect to unionists by allowing a commemorative stone to be placed in the grounds of Parliament Buildings.

    And let us not forget that during the Covid pandemic, when DUP Ministers were delivering millions of pounds worth of vital financial support to struggling businesses, Sinn Fein’s Conor Murphy claimed that he had secured a joint PPE order with the Irish Republic – a claim dismissed by the Irish Government and a demonstration of incompetence and untruths.

    But worst of all, at a time when many of us sacrificed so much to abide by the lockdown rules, missing out of precious family moments, Sinn Fein organised a mass public funeral for former IRA man Bobby Storey, and Michelle O’Neill walked front and centre of the procession.

    So of course, elections matter. How we vote matters.

    This year’s Assembly election was heralded as a huge success for nationalism. Calls for a border poll intensified.

    But let’s look at the reality.

    In 1998, the combined vote share for nationalism was 39.9%.

    In 2022? It was 39.4%.

    Sinn Fein didn’t gain any seats. Nationalism lost more seats than unionism.

    What changed? A fragmented unionist vote.

    We need to understand that division within unionism comes at a cost to unionism. It is not risk free and today we see the consequences of that.

    So let us redouble our efforts to get that message out – to convince people of the merits of the union, to promote the positive case for the Union and to commit to working with fellow unionists to maximise co-operation and influence.

    I want to thank each and everyone one of you for your help during the election campaign in May.

    Despite the predictions of the end of the DUP we were returned as the largest unionist party and the undisputed voice of Unionism.

    We were saddened by the loss of Mervyn and Peter from the Assembly team. I am pleased to say we are already at an advanced stage to make us “campaign ready” to target those areas and retake those seats.

    We deeply appreciate the time that is given up to knock doors, put up posters, label envelopes and convince your friends and family to vote. It is vitally important as we seek to maximise our vote.

    Our party members are the backbone of our party. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do, if you didn’t do what you do.

    So thank you for all your work and effort. It isn’t forgotten and it isn’t taken for granted.

    Preparations are advancing for the Local Government election in May 2023 when we will fight for seats in the eleven councils across Northern Ireland. Our Council representatives are critical to our party and they are often the first port of call for constituents.

    The DUP has prided itself on its strong community based representation in councils across Northern Ireland and for speaking up for hard pressed ratepayers.

    When others engage in squander and waste the DUP has been to the fore in standing strong and defending the rate –payer.

    In our 2019 local government manifesto we committed to delivering more play parks across Northern Ireland with accessible equipment for children with disabilities. It is yet another example of delivering to make a real difference in the lives of those whom we serve.

    Within the next few weeks we will be moving to the latter stages of our local council candidates selection processes. I can say with confidence that we will be able to field a strong team of candidates with that comprise a mixture of old and new, experience and youth and vitally a team that will have the necessary skill-set to work hard for the communities they will endeavour to represent.

    We will work hard for every vote at that election as we build our presence across the Province. To those councillors stepping down I place on record my thanks for their labours and efforts, some over many years, and I look forward to them continuing to play an active role within the membership of the Party.

    ______

    Today I can also announce that we are election ready if the Secretary of State decides to move forward with a further Assembly poll. We will take our message to the people and campaign for their support on this most vital of issues.

    Conference, our message is clear; without decisive action on the Protocol, and Northern Ireland’s place within the UK fully restored there is no basis to re-enter the Executive.

    We do not fear an election should the Government so decide. If the government believe that an election, or a threat of an election, will influence how we judge the issue of the Protocol they are badly advised and they underestimate our resolve.

    Of course, there is an alternative: Get the Protocol sorted – not with short term fudges and mitigations – but with arrangements that restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom internal market.

    As each week passes, we see again and again the impact that it is having.

    A 25% tariff on steel.

    An inability to cut VAT on energy bills.

    No vat relief on energy saving technologies.

    Businesses drowned in paperwork.

    Huge additional costs for haulage companies.

    Unwarranted and unreasonable checks.

    Uncertainty sourcing medicines and veterinary medicines.

    Environmental health officers removing noodles from shops

    Northern Ireland consumers excluded from the full benefits of new UK trade deals.

    And remember this is during a time of limited implementation.

    Imagine if the grace periods were gone and if we had full implementation. What would happen?

    Last year, the Financial Times reported that one big UK supermarket chain had estimated that imposing full controls on mixed loads of products heading to Northern Ireland could mean seven million additional documents a year to maintain its current delivery levels. For little over 2% of the UK market?

    The European Commission has even demanded that passengers from Great Britain be stopped when they enter Northern Ireland and have their personal luggage searched to check for some of the most basic foods. More madness.

    Sometimes standing up to this insanity has been a lonely pursuit. Other parties don’t understand or simply don’t care about the damage that could be inflicted to our economy and way of life.

    But it is not just unionist businesses and consumers that have been and will be impacted, everyone is.

    And I am glad that slowly but surely others are moving towards our position.

    Other parties here in Northern Ireland have now called for the existing mitigations and grace periods to not only continue, but to be made permanent.

    The UK Government too has belatedly accepted the folly of the Protocol; but what we now need is action following the command paper and Protocol Bill.

    Even Leo Varadkar, said this week that he thought the protocol was maybe a little too strict! In other news he also declared the sun is hot, the moon is far away and the pope is a catholic!

    We will not allow Northern Ireland to be a pawn in the EU’s game. We will not allow the Irish Government to stoke fears of violence as a reason to ignore unionist concerns. And we will stand strong for those people who want to see a fair and lasting outcome.

    We believe solutions can be found.

    We believe the integrity of the UK internal market can be restored.

    We believe that we can be good neighbours both to our friends in the Republic of Ireland and the European Union.

    Let’s make sure that we act on our responsibility, not just to deal with the present challenges that we face but also to grasp the opportunities that will make for a better future.

    Unlike Sinn Fein, who speak of unity but sow division, we want to see Northern Ireland work for everyone.

    We know Northern Ireland is a great place –

    A great place to live

    A great place to work

    A great place to visit

    And a great place to invest

    We are here today not just because we love Northern Ireland, and want to maintain it and its position within the UK, but because we are ambitious for this place too.

    And we have a plan to make Northern Ireland even better.

    A place where young people have boundless opportunity.

    Where everyone is respected and valued.

    Where everyone, regardless of their background, feels at home.

    An ever peaceful and prosperous Northern Ireland.

    That is the prize that is in front of us.

    That is what we must do to secure the Union.

    That is what we must do together.

    And that is what we will do.

    Thank You.

  • Michelle McIlveen – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    Michelle McIlveen – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    The speech made by Michelle McIlveen, the Education Minister, on 8 October 2022.

    Good morning Conference

    It is a real pleasure to be here with you all once again and to have this opportunity to address you as Education Minister.

    Since we last met together, Northern Ireland, and the world, has faced the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed as a reaction to that pandemic.

    This has been an incredibly difficult period for pupils, parents, staff and school leaders who have faced unparalleled challenges. Schools were shut. Home learning introduced. Guidelines changed as infection levels fluctuated. Each step putting strain on those affected and a need to readapt.

    I would like to place on record my thanks for the patience, resilience and versatility of principals, teachers, support staff, mothers, fathers, carers, grannies and grandas as they supported our children and their children through these unprecedented times. And, of course, to the young people who rose to those challenges. Thank you so much.

    When schools were forced to close, our party and our Ministers fought hard to ensure that support mechanisms were put in place for children and the most vulnerable. It was our Party and our Ministers who sought to get schools reopened at the earliest and safest opportunity. It was our Party and our Ministers who fought to ensure that our schools remained open.

    I recall being personally lambasted again and again for resisting calls to shut schools. If this decision had been left in the hands of other parties, the impact on our children would have been devastating. We have already seen the impact of lockdowns on educational progress and mental wellbeing – especially on vulnerable pupils. How much worse would this have been if we had wavered on this position?

    Conference, it is now clear for all to see that we were right and that we are the Party who place children, their wellbeing and their futures at the heart of our decision-making.

    In the midst of everything, it is sometimes possible to forget about what has been done. I want to take a moment to remind you about what has been delivered by this Party:

    Announcing the largest ever capital investment scheme for schools in Northern Ireland to deliver 28 new post-primary schools at a cost of 794 million pounds. We have an ageing school estate and all our children deserve to be in modern, fit-for-purpose facilities.

    Doubling the number of Nurture Units, which support our most vulnerable pupils in mainstream education

    Providing an additional 149 million pounds in direct funding to schools during the pandemic Creating “Healthy Happy Minds”, a UK-first Primary School Counselling scheme with direct investment of over 9 million pounds

    Delivering the Engage programme to provide support to children coming back to school during Covid with investment of more than 46 million pounds

    Levering 700 million pounds on top of the Department’s baseline budget from the Executive to invest in our children

    Increasing by 77%, funding for children with Special Educational Needs

    Rolling out Northern Ireland’s first ever Holiday Hunger scheme

    Establishing the “period poverty” pilot for schools

    Developed schemes to celebrate the centenary of Northern Ireland and Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee

    Those are just a few examples of delivery. Earlier this year, I developed and brought through a piece of legislation which I had been lobbying for, for many years. The School Age Act will provide real choice to the parents of children born in April, May and June each year and allow flexibility to the parents of premature children who would have been “young for year” if born at term. An important law which will mean that those children will not be disadvantaged in development terms.

    As a Party we have sought to address the causes of Educational Underachievement. We not only commissioned the first report of its kind for Northern Ireland, but we have also implemented and funded the action points contained within the Fair Start Report. Other parties pay lip-service to Educational Underachievement; this Party takes action.

    Since the Assembly election in May, Ministers have remained in post and I have continued to deliver on our manifesto promises. While other parties have claimed that nothing can be done while the Executive does not meet – I and other DUP Ministers have been hard at work delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

    We said that we would support working families. Conference, you have just heard from our panel. We recognise the need for teachers to be in our schools, for nurses to be in our hospitals, for workers to be in our offices, for those who want to continue their careers to be at their jobs – they need our support to do this. We recognise that early educational intervention is vital to the development of our children – we are taking steps to provide this on an equitable basis regardless of income. Last month I announced that my Department would deliver a minimum 22.5 hours each week of pre-school provision.

    We said that we would help with the costs of school uniforms. I can advise Conference that an additional £1million has been allocated to help struggling families and I have asked officials to review the entire model to make it fit for purpose.

    I applaud the work being undertaken by schools, community and voluntary groups across Northern Ireland in providing uniform hubs and other initiatives to help families but that should not be the case. During my limited time in the last Assembly term, I have put this high on the agenda and it will be a priority issue during this next mandate.

    We said that we would restructure special educational needs services. I have allocated over 6 million pounds to transform educational provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across Northern Ireland.

    I also provided an additional 12.6 million pounds to allow the summer holiday food grant to continue – helping families in this time of need. A further 2 million pounds for the Healthy Happy Minds scheme and an additional 10 million pounds for the Engage programme.

    However, Conference, further challenges lie ahead for education. Conor Murphy’s draft budget – a budget opposed by this Party – would see Education 100s of millions of pounds underfunded on key priorities. Coupled with that is the Integrated Education Act.

    This is a piece of legislation, I, as Minister, opposed and which will disadvantage the 93% of our children who attend controlled or maintained sector schools. When schools begin to struggle with their budgets, I sincerely hope that questions are asked of the SDLP and Sinn Fein as to why they supported legislation they called “flawed” and why the UUP could not have joined with us to block it. This is legislation so bad it could not be amended into something fair and workable. To stand against it was not to stand against our children being educated together; but would have stopped a law that would have unfairly disadvantaged our schools and our pupils. There is considerable work that needs done to prevent the harm this legislation will do to the education sector in Northern Ireland.

    During my tenure as Minister, I have taken the opportunity to visit hundreds of schools, nurseries and educational facilities right across Northern Ireland. I have met with principals, teachers, youth workers, staff and young people. I have seen their needs first hand, I have listened to their concerns face to face and I have been their strongest advocate. All of them share our desire to build a better and brighter future for our children. Again I would like to thank them for what they do – they are amazing.

    We are committed to treating all schools equally and standing firm against a hierarchy of sectors.

    We are committed to tackling educational underachievement and improving equality of opportunity and educational outcomes.

    We want to give our children the best start in life and provide them with the tools to succeed. As a Party, their needs, not party ideology, is at the core of what we do.

    As a former teacher, it has been an honour for me to have served Northern Ireland as Education Minister. While these times have been challenging, we have seen the best of our people. We have seen our pupils continuing to improve and flourish. We have seen a generosity of spirit and a determination to overcome. As Northern Ireland passes it centenary, our children, and how we educate, develop and equip them, will be the foundation for our next hundred years.

    Thank you conference.

  • Stephen Dunne – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    Stephen Dunne – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    The speech made by Stephen Dunne, the MLA for North Down, on 8 October 2022.

    Thank You Very Much Mr Chairman

    I am delighted to be addressing Conference this morning.

    It’s great to have our Conference back for the first time in three years and to share this weekend with friends and colleagues from across our country and beyond.

    The Democratic Unionist Party has an unrivalled record of representation – one that each of us can be proud of.

    For more than five decades, this Party has been the heart and soul of grassroots Unionism across our Province.

    During this time, it has often been said that our motto is service ever, surrender never.

    Service first and foremost to the people and communities that we represent and to the cause of our precious Union.

    This vision has passed from one generation to the next. It is what drives me in frontline politics.

    It is why I am a member of the DUP, and it is why I am proud to play my part in building a better Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom –

    – A Northern Ireland that works for all.

    As someone who served as a local Councillor for almost ten years, and more recently as an MLA, I am honoured to be following in the footsteps of my late father.

    Gordon, as you will all know, proudly served this party as an elected representative for almost forty years. Like him,

    I know the importance of local representation.

    I will always do my best for those I am privileged to represent, just like he did.

    Day and daily, not just in North Down, but throughout our network of DUP Advice Centres across Northern Ireland, this Party is on the ground, listening, engaging and seeking to improve the lives of those who need our help the most.

    Whether it be the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, helping the most vulnerable access vital services and everything in between, this Party is best placed and more determined than any other to get the best deal for our constituents.

    Conference, since we were last here, we celebrated the centenary of Northern Ireland, and this Party marked a milestone of its own – our 50th Anniversary.

    As we reflect on these events, we have cause for optimism.

    Only this Party has the strength and the determination to defend Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

    Only the DUP has the vision to deliver a Northern Ireland where every child gets a fair start, where businesses are able to grow and invest, and where young people want to live, work and raise a family.

    Friends, we can be confident for the future because we have done it before, and we will do it again.

    And God-willing we can look forward to many more anniversaries in the years ahead.

    Conference, we have been blessed to live under the reign of our much-missed monarch, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (the second).

    Her life was defined by many years of faithful, steadfast and selfless service to our nation and the Commonwealth.

    Whilst we mourn her loss, we know that with God’s help and guidance, our nation will continue to prosper in the years ahead, under our new Head of State King Charles III (the third).

    These events, whilst difficult, highlighted once again that we are stronger together.

    Friends, I do not need to convince you of the merits of Northern Ireland’s membership of the United Kingdom.

    Being an integral part of the fifth largest global economy brings unparalleled benefits for businesses and consumers.

    And we all benefit from a National Health Service that is revered around the world.

    And even now, as our households face soaring bills, it is our national government at Westminster that is best placed to provide that much-needed safety net and protect the most vulnerable.

    We will not, therefore, be distracted or derailed in our vision for Northern Ireland by the fanciful agenda of a so-called United Ireland.

    That does not mean the future is without its challenges.

    Securing and strengthening the Union for generations means dealing with the border in the Irish Sea.

    The Protocol demonstrates the greatest single threat to our place in the United Kingdom in a generation.

    It was an act of economic and constitutional self-harm by the Government.

    Every day East-West checks are adding cost to businesses and reducing choice for consumers.

    Don’t believe those who say it is not contributing to the cost of living. It is.

    The decision to foist these arrangements without the consent of any unionist elected representative has upset the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland.

    25 years of progress in Northern Ireland was built on cross-community consent.

    The Protocol has attacked that principle, and the very foundations of devolution now hang by a thread.

    This Party has a mandate for the action it has taken.

    Yes, we are committed to devolution. Yes, we believe it is in the best interests of Northern Ireland and the Union. And yes, we want to see a fully-functioning Executive.

    However, for that to happen the Protocol needs to be replaced with arrangements that command the support of Unionists as well as nationalists.

    The Alliance Party would re-write the Belfast Agreement to exclude Unionists rather than recognise their concerns. Shame on them.

    Let me be clear – we will not be silenced. Unionism will not be side-lined.

    The politics of exclusion is a road to nowhere.

    Our mandate must be respected and if necessary, we will not hesitate to take our message to the electorate and have that mandate renewed.

    Conference, we will only be successful in this cause if we move forward as one.

    The Assembly election in May, was a reminder of the dangers of a divided unionism.

    Time and time again, on the doors in North Down and right across Northern Ireland, we heard the message loud and clear from Unionists, that there were too many Unionist candidates.

    Unfortunately, despite our many warnings, some Unionists sought to exploit problems for their own electoral gain, perpetuating the myth that voters could not split the vote.

    Regrettably Unionism suffered as a result. Unionist representation was lost in North Antrim, East Antrim and Strangford.

    If we are to take new ground for the Union this cannot go on.

    Now is not the time for ‘vanity projects’ or ‘one-man bands’.

    It is not the time for one-upmanship within the Unionist family.

    If those around us truly believe in United unionism, then their actions must reflect that.

    I invite them to work together with the largest Unionist party to maintain and promote the strength of the Union.

    We ARE best placed to defend the Union and deliver a brighter future for the next generation.

    Our shared values such as freedom of expression, encouraging business and entrepreneurship, protecting our environment whilst supporting our farmers is a vision which we all should be proud of.

    Recently I have been encouraged that many young people share this vision too. They are informed enough to make their own political judgments that Unionism works.

    However….. there is room for improvement.

    We need to be more effective in selling our message. Over the past year I’ve had the privilege of hosting young people on work experience.

    They have a real enthusiasm, hunger and confidence to make Northern Ireland a better place for both themselves, and their children.

    They want to play an active role in Moving Forward Together.

    We need to help them to do so. It is our duty to work with the next generation, to retain their skills within Northern Ireland, and build confidence within, promoting the fact that the Union is best.

    Friends, one of the greatest ever Britons, Sir Winston Churchill said this: ‘‘You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.’’

    My pledge to you this morning is that I will keep on giving so that the lives of the people that I represent can be improved and enriched within the United Kingdom.

    I owe this to those that have gone before and to those waiting in the wings to lead the charge for this Party and the Union.

    Thank you very much.

  • Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Speech to DUP Conference

    The speech made by Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the DUP, on 8 October 2022.

    Mr. Chairman, Party Colleagues, Distinguished Guests, Friends…

    I am delighted that after a three-year absence we have been able to come together for our Autumn Conference and to meet again following the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all those who lost loved ones during this tumultuous period.

    I also want to express our sympathies to those families who have been bereaved in the tragic events in Donegal yesterday afternoon and those injured as a result of this explosion are foremost in our thoughts.

    We assure the people of Cresslough of our collective prayers and want them to know that they will continue to be in our thoughts in the days ahead.

    Much has happened since we last met together – we fought a General Election, we witnessed the re-establishment of the local Executive and Assembly after a three-year absence, we have lived through and emerged from the pandemic,

    we have celebrated the centenary of Northern Ireland and taken tough decisions in our opposition to the Protocol, fought an Assembly election and yes, at times, focused more on what divided us rather than what unites us.

    No-one ever said politics was predictable!

    In recent weeks we have been deeply saddened and powerfully moved by the loss of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

    Her passing has been felt intensely across Northern Ireland and our nation as a whole. We have all been truly blessed to live through her reign and we give thanks to God for her unwavering service to our United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

    As we look forward, we do so confidently, recognising that our new King, Charles III will reign mindful of the example set by Her late Majesty.

    Today as I stand before you, making my first conference speech as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, I do so humbled and thankful for the support you have given me since taking up this burden of responsibility.

    I am honoured to be your leader and your servant, and as we look to the future

    I again pledge that I will never take your trust or your labours for granted.

    As we have proved over many years, we work best when we work as a team.

    This party is at its best when we say what we mean and mean what we say. Currently and in this chapter of our history we are in such a time.

    I believe in public service and making a difference and in the time ahead my guiding principle will continue to be channeling all of my efforts and endeavours to work for the betterment of all the people – as we work to make Northern Ireland a better place.

    But most of all I – we – believe in the Union and we will never apologise for working to promote the benefits of the Union and to secure our position within the United Kingdom.

    I have said it before and it is worth repeating – my vision for unionism is a simple, positive and modern one.

    I believe in Northern Ireland and its people.

    I believe that Northern Ireland is best served by being part of the United Kingdom and that our four nations of the UK are together stronger than their constituent parts.

    In support of that Union, I want us to build a better Northern Ireland, not just for those who share our unionism, but for all our people.

    I want to build the broadest coalition of support for that vision from right across the community.

    A coalition which includes those of us whose support for the Union is based on a cultural, social and historic affinity with Great Britain and those whose support is grounded more in reason and realism of what is in the best interests for them and their families.

    For me unionism should have no barriers to entry beyond a belief that Northern Ireland is best served as a part of the UK.

    We want to make Northern Ireland a place of peace, stability and prosperity for all.

    We want to see Northern Ireland and its people making a full contribution to our national life – whether that be in public service, military service, the arts, sport,

    or the economic and business life of our nation.

    We look back with pride at the contribution and sacrifice made by Northern Ireland’s men and women over the last one hundred years.

    Equally, we look forward with confidence when we see that outside London,

    Northern Ireland is the top location in the United Kingdom for foreign direct investment… and we know that our strongest asset is the ingenuity of our people.

    While I celebrate the past and our many achievements, my unionism does not hanker on returning back to a bygone age but looks forward to a new era.

    However Conference, some of our friends, family and colleagues sacrificed their all to protect Northern Ireland and to give us our future.

    We will not allow their memories to be sullied by the re-writing of history and the attempted justification for violence.

    Let us as a conference send a clear message that murder and mayhem is never justified.

    There WAS ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE TO VIOLENCE.

    We meet at an opportune time in the political calendar.

    Before we look forward and set out how we will face the challenges ahead I want to thank each and every one of you who contributed to our election campaign

    in May.

    Once again we established ourselves as the undisputed voice of unionism in

    Northern Ireland.

    This is not a position we take for granted and we will work to further strengthen and build upon our position.

    To our talented DUP team of candidates who day after day knocked the doors on the campaign trail and fought for every vote, I salute you and thank you for all that was accomplished.

    Sadly not every candidate was elected and already we are focused on winning back seats lost to our opponents.

    It may be the candidates who take the plaudits but we all know that it is only made possible because of the hard work of the teams around them.

    The election marked a transition for our Party. Inevitably in politics, as in life,

    the baton of leadership and public service passes from one generation to the next.

    I want to put on record our sincere appreciation to Robin Newton, William Humphrey, Paula Bradley, George Robinson and Jim Wells for whom the 5th May marked the end of their service in the Assembly.

    I know that we were all saddened by the loss of Mervyn Storey in North Antrim and Peter Weir in Strangford but I want to thank them for their service and dedication to their constituents and our party.

    I am absolutely certain we have not seen the last of either Mervyn or Peter and I know that they have further significant contributions to make to public service and to our party.

    The election also opened a new chapter of public service for David Brooks, Phillip Brett, Brian Kingston, Alan Robinson and Diane Forsythe.

    They are welcome additions to our Assembly team as they join with colleagues who continue their service and who are seasoned in the public arena.

    Since our last conference in 2019 we have sadly felt the pain of loss within our Assembly group and our Party with the passing of Gordon Dunne and Christopher Stalford.

    We have also lost a number of faithful party members at all levels of our organisation including Alderman Junior McCrum, Councillor Paul Hamill and most recently Alderman John Finlay.

    These representatives all served their constituents with distinction for many years. We treasure our memories of them all and hope that even today their families will take comfort from the legacy of duty and service they have left us.

    We were delighted beyond measure to see Gordon’s son Stephen elected to represent North Down last May and to hear from him this morning.

    Whilst some so-called commentators would love to see this party obliterated, when you look at the young faces elected last May I’ve got bad news for those commentators – this Party has a strong future and unionism will be here when they are long gone.

    At Westminster your Parliamentary team, both in the Commons and the Lords, continues to actively speak up for the interests of Northern Ireland.

    Our ability to influence outcomes has been felt across a range of issues and most particularly, working with our DUP Ministers, we have been able to successfully press the Government on a range of cost-of-living measures to ensure the people of Northern Ireland receive the same level of support as those in the rest of the United Kingdom.

    Working for Northern Ireland at Westminster and making a real difference to the lives of people is perhaps best highlighted through the delivery of broadband.

    In 2017 we secured through the Confidence and Supply Agreement £150

    million of public investment that delivered fibre broadband to almost ninety thousand rural premises across Northern Ireland.

    Whilst Sinn Fein questioned the need for public money to be spent on high-speed broadband for rural dwellers this intervention has been the most transformative investment for our rural economy since the electricity network was extended.

    Northern Ireland at 82% full fibre broadband is already massively ahead of England on 67%, Scotland on 60%, Wales on 49% and the Republic of Ireland on 41%.

    At current build rates, by 2025, Northern Ireland will be the first country in these islands where fibre is available to 99% of our premises.

    Earlier this year the Financial Times ranked OECD countries by full-fibre rollout.

    Northern Ireland was beaten only by South Korea and Japan.

    This has not only provided essential connectivity to rural dwellers but makes Northern Ireland the best-connected place in these islands, and one of the best connected anywhere in the world – a key selling point to potential investors considering Northern Ireland as a place to establish a new or expanded business operation.

    Mr. Chairman, that was a project developed by the DUP in 2016. We secured the money from London in 2017 and our DUP Economy Ministers awarded the contract in 2020.

    While Sinn Fein continues to moan and criticise from the outer precincts of Westminster we are there seeking to make a real difference on the ground.

    Indeed, you would sometimes be forgiven for thinking that Sinn Fein hope the UK Government will not assist people here so that they can advance their own narrow political agenda.

    Just as during the hugely challenging days of the pandemic, the uncomfortable truth for some remains that it is the UK Government at Westminster that has the financial firepower and resources to adequately deal with the current cost of living squeeze.

    This is a key benefit of the Union and tackling the difficulties created by the cost of living will continue to be an absolute priority for the DUP.

    We understand the challenges that homes and businesses are facing and we will fight day and night to ensure they receive the support that they need.

    Over the last term of the Assembly our DUP Ministers and MLAs have been working to deliver on the policies and priorities that matter to the people of Northern Ireland.

    Our Ministers have made a significant contribution in shaping the work of the wider Executive as well as leading their respective departments.

    In the Economy Department our DUP Ministers secured £286.8 million for the roll out of the Economic Recovery Action Plan including delivering the £140 million

    High Street Voucher Scheme.

    This provided over 1.4m people with a pre-paid £100 card to help inject an economic stimulus to our High Streets and re-orientate people back to the

    High Street and away from online shopping trends.

    In Education our DUP Ministers have increased funding for some of our most vulnerable members of society with spend on children with Special Educational Needs rising by 77% during the last mandate.

    In the last Assembly term, we also introduced the most progressive School Starting Age legislation within the UK.

    In Agriculture and Environment our Minister distributed over £28m in Covid-19 business support to farm businesses – the most comprehensive package of support anywhere in the British Isles or Europe and delivered a £4m Rural Halls Refurbishment Scheme.

    Our team worked to introduce ground-breaking Climate Change legislation with balanced protections for agriculture and published a Green Growth Strategy.

    I thank Gordon, Michelle and Edwin for all of their hard work on delivering flagship programmes and initiatives for the betterment of everyone in

    Northern Ireland and indeed also to Paul, Diane, Peter, Paul and Gary for their significant contributions in Ministerial office.

    Conference, the outcome of May’s election must act as a wake-up call to unionists across Northern Ireland.

    It is vital that lessons are learned in its aftermath and before we return to the polls. Unionism won 44% of the seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

    As unionists, we must be honest with one another; it wasn’t nationalists or others who caused the loss of several pro-Union seats at the election.

    That was the direct result of a splintered unionism where seats were lost in Strangford, North Antrim and East Antrim.

    Each of those constituencies had four unionist quotas yet in each constituency only three unionists were elected. This is not sustainable if we want to win.

    It is no good talking about the theory that you cannot split the vote in a PR election when the real-world evidence shows pro-Union representation weakened because of those splinters and divisions within the Pro-Union family.

    Those of us in this room are mature enough to know that delivering a more cohesive unionism cannot be achieved by attacking fellow unionists. It requires co-operation and effort from all who want to strengthen our place within the Union.

    Everywhere I go, I get one consistent message from unionists, they want us to work together. They see that fractured unionism cost seats, and just five months ago gifted victories to our opponents.

    Whilst some are content to manufacture arguments with fellow unionists, I am not.

    I have more in common with my unionist brothers and sisters than that which divides us.

    This Party believes in unionists working together and we stand ready to work

    in common purpose with fellow unionists from other parties, and none,

    as together we promote the benefits of the Union.

    As your leader I will leave no stone unturned in my quest to build the unity of unionists that our people are crying out for.

    We have a shared belief in being part of this great United Kingdom.

    We all cheer the British Team in the Olympics; we are immensely proud of our Armed Forces, and we all get the tingle in our spine as the National Anthem is played and the Union Flag is raised.

    We are not just unionists because we were born here.

    We are not just unionists because we support our constitutional monarchy.

    We are not just unionists because the United Kingdom has an international standing in the G7, the UN Security Council and NATO.

    We are unionists because it makes economic sense to be part of one of the biggest economies in the world.

    We are unionists because we cherish the National Health Service.

    And we are unionists because we love the United Kingdom and its diversity.

    We can be Northern Irish and British.

    We can be Scottish or Welsh and British.

    And yes, we can be Irish and British.

    Membership of the United Kingdom gives Northern Ireland, with a population of

    less than two million people, a place on the world stage.

    Let’s remember the benefits of the United Kingdom.

    Let’s remember those who came before us, who fought hard and sacrificed all in the cause of freedom and liberty in our nation’s darkest hour.

    Being part of the Union is good for everyone in Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland is good for the United Kingdom.

    We shouldn’t be afraid to make the case for the Union at every opportunity

    and as we move forward, we will work collectively to do so using every opportunity available both at home as well as beyond our shores.

    The case for leaving the UK is based on economic myths and fantasy politics;

    but the political facts of life are unionist.

    Conference, it is in our unity that we can find our strength.

    ———————

    In less than seven months we will be fighting the local council elections across the

    eleven councils in Northern Ireland.

    DUP Councillors in each area are the grass roots of the Party, the unsung heroes who are on the front-line when it comes to serving the needs of people in every rural district, hamlet, village, town and city across Northern Ireland.

    As this council term draws to a close we thank all our councillors for their efforts and their sacrifices.

    For those who have already indicated their wish to retire we are forever indebted to you for your years of service, often standing in the gap at a time when few others would do so and when times were tough.

    We will field a strong team of candidates, representing experience as well as fresh faces, who will go forward committed to delivering on our manifesto commitments and ensuring the most efficient use of rate-payers money whilst delivering every-day front line services in their council area.

    Sadly in some of our council areas the voices and views of unionists have been marginalised in the cause of Republican triumphalism.

    We are determined to continue putting a spotlight on such shameful behaviour and to speak up for unionists in those areas.

    As you heard from our council representatives on the panel this morning we will be able to present a strong DUP record of achievement as we campaign for a

    fresh mandate in the run up to the May 2023

    council poll.

    Mr. Chairman, this party worked hard to re-negotiate and restore devolution in 2006 and 2007 because we believed it was better to bring decision-making closer to the people.

    In those days devolution laid the foundations for peace and prosperity. It allowed us to change the image of Northern Ireland from a place known for conflict to one that has so much to offer. We can look back with pride at much of what was accomplished.

    Today when you look around you will see that Northern Ireland is a place transformed.

    No matter how difficult politics has been, devolved government has allowed Northern Ireland to prosper.

    I still believe in devolved government but I’m realistic enough to recognise that it has suffered serious reputational damage in recent years.

    Our system of government is far from perfect, and needs further measured reform, but we believe in the principle of devolution.

    I don’t need to tell you that many of the decisions that we have objected to most over the last ten years have not been taken at Stormont but at Westminster.

    I think particularly of abortion. In just a matter of hours, MPs in Westminster changed Northern Ireland from being one of the safest places for the unborn to being one of the most dangerous places in Europe.

    Anyone who believes that having no say in our future is a recipe for success simply hasn’t learnt the lessons of history.

    A fully functioning devolved government, built on solid foundations and working with London can make Northern Ireland a better place by fixing our health service, by building more schools, by training more GPs and by helping working families through the provision of better childcare support.

    However, the structures of Government at Stormont can only work with the support and buy in of unionists and nationalists.

    The imposition of the Protocol upon Northern Ireland has damaged and undermined the workings of our institutions.

    They cannot work without the restoration of the delicate political balance negotiated over many years and which has been disrupted by the Protocol.

    In February of this year, after repeated warnings and the exhausting of patience we withdrew our First Minster.

    For over two years we urged the Government to get a better deal, only to be repeatedly rebuffed by the EU and told the Protocol was the only show in town and was not open for renegotiation.

    On 1 July last year I warned that devolution and the Protocol were not compatible.

    Again, on 9 September last year I repeated my warning. I do so again today.

    When a trade border, a steel border, a pet border, a guide-dog border,

    a frozen food border, a plant border, a VAT border, a medicine border,

    a passenger border, a grocery border and a soil border were erected between

    Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, then of course it was going to devastate political relationships and the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland.

    Every day Northern Ireland is subjected to some new Protocol problem that bedevils a business or a consumer.

    This is not a unionist question or a nationalist question. Equally it is not a question of either addressing the Protocol or addressing the cost-of-living crisis.

    The Protocol is making a massive contribution to that cost-of-living crisis.

    At a time when households and businesses can least afford it, haulage costs between GB and Northern Ireland have risen by nearly 30% as a direct result of the Protocol.

    Under the Protocol, there is a 25% tariff on the steel used to build our schools, roads, hospitals, and houses if the steel comes from Great Britain.

    The trade friction between Northern Ireland and Great Britain is fuelling the

    cost-of-living crisis locally as well as restricting consumer choice.

    The reality is that the Protocol is driving up the cost of living for every single household in Northern Ireland.

    That is why this party will work relentlessly to have this burden removed.

    During the election campaign we were honest with the electorate that the Protocol represented an existential threat to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the Union and that it must be replaced by arrangements that fully restored Northern Ireland’s place within the UK Internal Market.

    The strong mandate that we received in the election has caused others to recognise the validity of our position and to act.

    As such, we welcomed and supported the introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill at Westminster.

    If fully enacted, this legislation has the potential to provide the solution that will free Northern Ireland from the grip of the Protocol and restore our rights as British citizens to trade freely with the rest of our own nation under Article 6 of the Acts of Union.

    We also meet at a time when the UK Government has recommenced talks with the EU on the Protocol. As a party we welcome those talks and wish those involved well.

    The issue of which route is travelled – whether the talks with the EU are successful or whether the Protocol Bill at Westminster becomes law is not the dominant question.

    For us what is important is the destination reached.

    Let me be clear – either the Prime Minister delivers the provisions of the Protocol Bill by legislation or by negotiation and ensures that our place in the United Kingdom is restored… or there will be no basis to re-enter Stormont.

    On this issue it is not words but actions we need to see and we will judge any outcome on the basis of actions not words.

    Some lay great emphasis on cutting the number of checks on goods entering

    Northern Ireland from Great Britain.

    If that were to happen they say all our problems would be sorted notwithstanding that the Protocol has not yet been fully implemented.

    The truth of course is that the checks on the Irish Sea border are the symptom of the underlying problem namely that Northern Ireland is subject to a different set of laws imposed upon us by a foreign entity without any say or vote by any elected representative of the people of Northern Ireland.

    As Great Britain has secured its freedom to de-regulate or move in a different direction of travel on aid or taxation Northern Ireland is going to constantly face new barriers because we are tied to a different set of laws.

    That is simply not sustainable and is incompatible with devolution, which requires the support of unionists as well as nationalists if it is to function.

    For the benefit of those watching in London and Brussels, let me restate our clear commitment.

    If decisive action is taken on the Protocol that restores our place fully within the United Kingdom, this Party will take its place once again in a fully functioning Executive.

    Conference, I know, and you know, we have the support of many thousands across Northern Ireland who want us to prevail on this most fundamental issue.

    We do not fear the prospect of a fresh election, far from it. If in the absence of his government righting the wrongs visited upon Northern Ireland the Secretary of State calls an Assembly election… we are ready and we will take our case to the people as the lead party of unionism.

    We will campaign as never before to secure a further fresh mandate from the people.

    The Government needs to tread sensitively and act wisely if they wish to see unionist confidence rebuilt and the conditions created for durable power sharing.

    The prize of moving on from the long shadow of the Northern Ireland Protocol is great.

    The prize is not just for unionism but for all of Northern Ireland and it is not just for the UK but for the EU as well.

    Just imagine how future arrangements could transform relationships within Northern Ireland, throughout the United Kingdom and with our nearest neighbours in the Republic of Ireland.

    With the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast Agreement fast approaching, surely this is the position all governments and parties will want to be in?

    When we come through these current challenges, I want to see a period of renewed focus on the everyday issues that matter.

    We want to work with others collectively so we can implement our plan for the

    health service and get on with delivering help for working families and creating more and better jobs.

    But first we must secure the solid foundations for moving forward and clear away the debris of the Protocol years. We need to restore the cross-community consensus that is essential for the political institutions to function and to succeed.

    Colleagues, in the coming weeks we may be tested as never before.

    Let us not be found wanting but rather rise to the challenges ahead so that when future generations look back on this period, they will be able to say of us that our legacy was not based on short-term fixes but on the long-term solutions we secured for all the people in Northern Ireland.

    For when we do that, this party will succeed, but more importantly Northern Ireland will succeed and the Union will endure.

  • Pat Sheehan – 2022 Comments on Securing Holiday Hunger Payments

    Pat Sheehan – 2022 Comments on Securing Holiday Hunger Payments

    The comments made by Pat Sheehan, the Sinn Fein West Belfast MLA, on 7 October 2022.

    The Halloween break is fast approaching and without an Executive, thousands of families face uncertainty over whether they will receive payments in place of free school meals.

    People are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and these payments are a lifeline to many children and their families, and it is cruel and unacceptable that the DUP would cause such uncertainty.

    The Finance Minister set aside funding to tackle holiday hunger for over 100,000 children and young people over the next three years, but this cannot be signed off without an Executive.

    The easiest way of getting that money out the door is forming an Executive today. And I would urge the DUP to end its boycott and work with the rest of us to support hard-pressed workers and families now.

  • Conor Murphy – 2022 Comments on Restoring the Northern Ireland Executive

    Conor Murphy – 2022 Comments on Restoring the Northern Ireland Executive

    The comments made by Conor Murphy, the Sinn Fein Minister of Finance, on 7 October 2022.

    Top of the to-do list of the Irish and British governments must be getting the Executive and Assembly up and running now.

    They have a responsibility to deliver a joint approach that prioritises the restoration of power-sharing and the political institutions of the Good Friday Agreement.

    We need an Executive formed now to help workers and families who are struggling with the cost-of-living emergency and people suffering on chronic hospital waiting lists.

    People need help now. They need ministers around the table and working together to invest £1 billion in the health service and to put money in people’s pockets.

  • Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Conservative’s Economic Policy

    Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Conservative’s Economic Policy

    The comments made by Caoimhe Archibald, the Sinn Fein’s Economic Spokesperson, on 3 October 2022.

    The British Chancellor has again defended his outrageous mini-Budget that will line the pockets of the rich, push up mortgages and do nothing to support ordinary people.

    And to add insult to injury, the Tory chancellor has now announced his intention to attack public services with cuts amounting to £18 billion following a decade of Tory assaults on health and other services.

    Rather than u-turning on just one part of their scandalous budget, the Tories should scrap the whole thing and instead invest in our public services and help workers, families and small businesses who are struggling.

    We need an Executive up and running immediately so that locally elected ministers can work together to put money in people’s pockets. The DUP must end its cruel boycott now.