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PRESS RELEASE : Gavin Robinson welcomes major MOD contract for Harland & Wolff [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 16 November 2022.

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has welcomed the news that British-led Team Resolute has been selected as the preferred bidder to build new support ships for the Royal Navy. Team Resolute includes Harland & Wolff and the final assembly of the three vessels will take place in Belfast.

The £1.6billion contract is to manufacture three 216-metre-long naval support ships providing munitions, stores and provisions to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates deployed at sea.

Mr Robinson who is the local MP and a member of Parliament’s Defence Select Committee said, “This is fantastic news for Belfast and Northern Ireland as a whole, but primarily for Harland & Wolff and everyone associated with the company. As part of Team Resolute they have pledged to invest £77million in shipyard infrastructure to support the British shipbuilding sector. Harland & Wolff’s Belfast operation will be heavily involved throughout the process through both construction and final assembly stages.

The majority of work will take place across the UK and I am delighted that workers in Belfast will be playing a key role in delivering these state of the art vessels for the Royal Navy and contributing to our nation’s defence capabilities.

Harland & Wolff has been part of some of the most significant chapters of our history. However, today’s announcement reminds us that it remains a significant national asset, as one of only three UK shipbuilders suitable for major MOD contract. The shipyard will continue to be a key asset for Belfast and Northern Ireland for a long time to come.”

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Sammy Wilson challenges Chancellor about £400 payments for NI [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 15 November 2022.

The DUP’s East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson has said that no-one should use energy payments to Northern Ireland households as political leverage.

He was commenting after calling for the Government to deliver the £400 payments to Northern Ireland customers before Christmas. He made the call at Treasury Questions in the House of Commons today.

Speaking afterwards the DUP MP said,

“There have been repeated claims, including this morning on Radio 4, that the £400 energy payments to Northern Ireland will be delayed because the NI Assembly and Executive are not fully functioning. These claims however are not substantiated with detail as to why the Government’s commitment that payments will be made before Christmas cannot be met.

I know that Ministers in Whitehall have worked with the Economy Minister to process the scheme and issues relating to some energy companies have been ironed out. The money is also there and indeed the Government has taken out advertisements here in Northern Ireland trumpeting the delivery of this very help.

It is welcome that the Chancellor repeated the previous Government commitment that people in all parts of the United Kingdom would have these payments to help before the Christmas period. It is also right that he investigates whether any Minister or civil servant has been deliberately holding up these payments to use them as political leverage. Such an act would be an abuse of power.

No-one should use fuel poverty as a political pawn. The ultimate way to prove that this has not been happening is for the Government to issue the payments as quickly as possible.”

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Those seeking joint authority should focus on restoring devolution [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 14 November 2022.

DUP Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan has said anyone pursing joint authority would be better to harness their energy and replace the Protocol with arrangements that unionists can support so devolution can be restored.

Mr Givan said,

“A poll where a vague question about ‘consultative role’ is asked, ignores the reality that the Republic of Ireland has no legal basis for the governing of Northern Ireland. Indeed, it would also be a breach of the Belfast and successor agreements.

Most people want to see the restoration of devolution. It is the Protocol alone that is stopping the formation of an Executive immediately. The warning that devolution and the Protocol could not co-exist was sounded 14 months ago by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, long before the last Assembly election.

The Protocol is harming Northern Ireland, and this is when we are not yet feeling its full effects. The ongoing grace periods being challenged by the EU and UK Government support have insulated us from those most devastating consequences. However, even this insulation comes at a cost with the Trader Support Service costing £365,000 per day to administer – that is £15,000 per hour. The cost of operating this scheme for a single day should be judged against the number of nurses salaries it could pay for a year.

The focus should be on replacing the Protocol with arrangements that can receive the support of unionists. That will provide a solid foundation for the restoration of devolution and we can get on with the task of reforming our Health Service through recruiting additional nurses and GPs.”

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Gordon Lyons – deal with the Protocol and then we can restore Stormont [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 11 November 2022.

DUP East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons has briefed an American congressional delegation in Belfast alongside Party colleagues Emma Little Pengelly MLA and Phillip Brett MLA.

Speaking afterwards Mr Lyons said,

“This was a useful briefing where we emphasised that there is no solid basis for an Executive and Assembly until the Protocol is replaced with arrangements that unionists can support. Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market must be restored and our constitutional arrangements must be respected.

We operate powersharing not majority rule. Powersharing can only work with the consent of unionists and nationalists. Not one unionist MLA supports the Protocol.

We published our seven tests more than twelve months ago so that Brussels and London could understand what was needed. Those tests were based on promises made by the Government to the people of Northern Ireland but were never delivered.

The Government has made commitments both in New Decade New Approach and in the House of Commons, these must now be turned into actions. We tried to deal with the Protocol for two years whilst devolution was functioning but no action was taken. This was time that was squandered.

Deal with the Protocol and then Stormont can be restored.”

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Phillip Brett – “NI Protocol’s TSS costing £15k per hour” [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 11 November 2022.

DUP North Belfast MLA Phillip Brett has challenged the parties who called for the ‘rigorous implementation’ of the Protocol to justify the current spending of £375,000 per day on a Trader Support Service which would multiply many times over if the Protocol was fully implemented.

Mr Brett said,

“Treasury has confirmed to my colleague Gregory Campbell MP that the Trader Support Service which helps companies deal with NI Protocol generated paperwork, cost £63m for the first six months of this year. That’s £375k per day or £15k per hour.

Those parties, namely Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance, who called for the full implementation of the Protocol must accept that the ending of the grace periods and full implementation would mean this cost would multiply many times over. Indeed, our main transport companies in Northern Ireland have said the full implementation of the Protocol would lead to a collapse of our supply chain within 48 hours. They even warned that people ‘better have their freezer full’.

Rather than the rigorous implementation of the Protocol, we need the Protocol replaced with arrangements which restore Northern Ireland’s place in the U.K. internal market and which ensure our constitutional arrangements are respected.”

19/11/2022
Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Comments on Anglo-Irish Talks

The comments made by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the Leader of the DUP, in Coleraine on 11 November 2022.

This problem is not new. We have been patient. We warned that the Protocol was undermining devolution more than two years ago. Yet no action was taken. Indeed, we were told there could be ‘no renegotiation’.

Whilst the negotiations will be between London and Brussels, the talks between the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom show that there is now a focus on the problem but we long for the decisive action which delivers an acceptable solution.

Northern Ireland must have its place within the United Kingdom’s internal market restored and our constitutional position respected.

Last year, I published the DUP’s seven tests for any renegotiation. Those tests are based on the Government’s own words. That is how we will measure any product from the talks.

I hope we can reach a negotiated outcome which will be acceptable to unionists because that will be the only basis for Stormont’s powersharing arrangements to prosper.

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Sir Jeffrey Donaldson – A return to cross-community consensus can provide foundation for restoration of devolution [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 10 November 2022.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has called for a return to the principle of consensus and cross community support in order to see the restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland. His comments come as the British Irish Council is due to meet in Blackpool.

Sir Jeffrey said,

“As the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach meet in Blackpool there should be a recommitment to the key issue of consensus and the need for cross-community support in Northern Ireland. If the main aim of both the UK and the EU is to protect the Belfast Agreement then any solution must be built on that key foundation upon which the Agreement itself is based.

Increasingly we hear some parties in Northern Ireland claim to uphold the Agreement on one hand whilst on the other they seek to exclude and sideline unionism. Notably, the desire to exclude one political tradition was not expressed by these same parties at any point during the three years that Sinn Fein prevented the formation of an Executive.

The DUP has set out 7 tests by which new arrangements will be judged. These are not a unionist wish list, but are based on promises that have already been made to the people of Northern Ireland and that should be honoured. It is not too much to ask that the government stands over those promises.

I hope the Prime Minister and the Taoiseach are as keen to see devolution restored as I am. That can only happen however when there is a stable foundation through the provision of cross-community consensus. Restoring Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom and removing the barriers to trade created by the Protocol in a way that can receive unionist support will put that foundation in place.”

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Jeffrey Donaldson – Protocol is key to restoring Stormont [November 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 9 November 2022.

Sir Jeffrey said,

“The Secretary of State has announced he is amending legislation which emanates from the New Decade New Approach agreement yet one of the NDNA commitments from the Government which is not being implemented is the restoration of Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom internal market.

If the Secretary of State wants to restore Stormont, then he must ensure the Government replaces the Protocol with arrangements that unionists can support.”

Mr Donaldson continued,

“Whilst people speak about their desire to protect the Belfast Agreement, they fail to recognise the core element of the Agreement was consensus, yet every unionist MLA and MP opposes the Protocol.

Progress is only made in Northern Ireland when there is a foundation based on the consent of unionists and nationalists. Indeed, some of those seeking to now abandon consent were silent for 1044 days when Sinn Fein blocked devolution over the Irish language.”

19/11/2022
Nicola Sturgeon – 2022 Speech on Scotland’s Role in Tackling the Climate Emergency

The speech made by Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, on 11 November 2022.

We’ve likely all noticed the unusually mild autumn we’ve been experiencing recently. In fact, some days in October have felt more like summer.

While these warm conditions are certainly unusual in Scotland, scientists are warning that they are going to become more and more common as the years go on and as climate change progresses.

Three months ago, the UK experienced its hottest day on record. Records were similarly broken in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as an extreme heatwave swept across much of Europe.

Across the world, there is a real concern that the heatwaves we are experiencing more and more often are a direct consequence of the climate crisis, and the indisputable fact that our planet is getting hotter.

The need to act to combat climate change has never been more urgent.

Last weekend, I travelled to Egypt for the UN Climate Change Summit, COP27, which marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

In those thirty years, the world has come a long way in the fight against climate change and its negative impacts on our planet.

We are now able to better understand the science behind climate change, assess its impacts, and develop tools to address its causes and consequences.

But despite that, the situation is graver than ever.

Most of us in Glasgow will remember the COP26 summit taking place in our city last year – with world leaders, scientists, and activists coming together for negotiations to agree meaningful actions to tackle the climate crisis.

Glasgow proudly hosted that summit, and while it did deliver positive progress, there is no escaping the fact that COP26 did not deliver as much concrete action or financial commitments as global south countries, activists and campaigners rightly demanded.

I attended COP27 to do what I can to further collaboration between Scotland and other countries, to build on the agreements that were reached in Glasgow and to continue Scotland’s leadership on tackling the climate emergency, especially on the important issue of loss and damage.

COP27 is taking place against a tense and difficult global backdrop and there is no doubt that the geopolitical landscape has changed significantly in the last year.

The impacts of climate change are being increasingly felt – with, for example, flooding in Pakistan and wildfires across the USA.

At the same time, Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is forcing countries, particularly in Europe, to rethink long-held assumptions about energy policy and energy security.

However, that does not mean that we can row back on the commitments made in Glasgow.

In fact, it’s more important than ever that we act, and soon, because the answer to many global challenges lies in tackling climate change and nature loss at a quicker pace.

The current energy crisis that is putting so much stress on households and businesses in Scotland is ultimately caused by our dependence on fossil fuels.

The solution is ending this dependence – through a just transition to renewables and energy efficiency.

While some governments, including the UK government, seek to increase their extraction of fossil fuels in response to soaring energy prices, the Scottish Government remains committed to developing our vast renewable energy potential and emerging green technologies.

And Scotland will continue play its part by sharing our own experiences of delivering a net zero target at home, as part of our just transition, and by helping to amplify the voices of people who are being most impacted by climate change but are often also excluded from the debate – including people from the countries of the global south, women and young people.

No nation has all the answers, or the means, to respond alone to the scale of the problem of climate change.

This is why bringing the global community together at COP27 is so vital, as it is only by working together that can we meet the need and urgency of the task that lies ahead.

COP27 must put a renewed focus on the ongoing delivery of the commitments already made in Glasgow and seek agreement for more meaningful action.

The science is clear that we may be approaching a tipping point for the twin crises of nature and climate – with the International Panel on Climate Change warning in April that it is “now or never” to limit global warming.

Unless we act now, we will continue to see an increase in heatwaves, floods, catastrophic storms and water scarcity – a price our planet simply cannot afford to pay.

However, is not too late for governments to act and to take positive actions which will help – including further funding to address loss and damage to help those in countries who contribute the least to global warming, yet suffer the worst effects.

Bluntly, we owe it to future generations to act now.

If the world is to deliver on the Glasgow climate pact, all nations need to continue to increase their ambition and take credible action to reach net zero emissions.

I am determined that Scotland will play our full part.

19/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : PwC comments on Oct 2022 retail sales figures [November 2022]

The press release issued by PWC on 18 November 2022.

Commenting on the Office of National Statistics retail sales index for Oct 2022, Lisa Hooker, Industry Leader for Consumer Markets at PwC, said:

While headline retail sales increased slightly in October on both a volume and pound note basis compared with the previous month, this was entirely due to the loss of a trading day in September for the Queen’s funeral.

Worryingly, on an annual basis, the 2.9% increase in overall retail sales excluding petrol was accounted for by the record inflation that was reported earlier this week. On a volume basis, shoppers were actually buying 6.7% less than last October.

Supermarkets were particularly hard hit last month, as shoppers bought less, wasted less and traded down to cheaper alternatives in the face of 16.4% inflation, a 45 year high. But, even apart from groceries, non-food sales continued to fall behind pre-pandemic levels as consumers started to cut back as the impact of higher energy and food bills hit and more is spent on second hand goods.

One saving grace for the high street is the return of shoppers from online into physical stores. The proportion of retail sales online, while higher than before the pandemic, continued to fall back, helped by both the mild weather and a growing preference for physical shopping among younger generations.

With little over a month to go until Christmas, retailers will be hoping that the picture improves. Particularly compared with the disappointment of last year when the Omicron variant cancelled many festive plans at the last minute. We think there is a good chance of one last hurrah before the tax rises announced in the Autumn Statement hit. For example, shoppers already tell us that they’ll be spending £0.5 billion more in the Black Friday sales next week.

However, with the country facing the biggest decline in real disposable income since the end of World War II, and continued cost headwinds in the form of higher energy and input costs and National Living Wage increases, there is no question that the retail sector will face unprecedented challenges in 2023.

19/11/2022