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  • John Finucane – 2022 Comments on Northern Ireland and Conservative Party Leadership

    John Finucane – 2022 Comments on Northern Ireland and Conservative Party Leadership

    The comments made by John Finucane, the Sinn Fein MP for North Belfast, on 17 August 2022.

    The Tories have no mandate and not a single elected representative in Ireland and they have absolutely no regard for the democratic wishes of the people of the north.

    It’s totally insulting for Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to rock up here today to choose a Tory leader and British Prime Minister that no one in the north voted for in the first place.

    What people did vote for was to oppose the destructive Brexit that they forced upon us and to invest an extra £1 billion to fix the health service that they have run into the ground with cruel cuts for over a decade.

    And now the Tories are propping up the DUP’s block on an Executive being formed and money being spent during a cost-of-living emergency, while attempting to strip away our businesses’ unique access to the British and EU markets that is creating jobs here.

    No matter who becomes Tory leader or British Prime Minister, it is clear that they will not act in the best interests of people in Ireland.

  • Deirdre Hargey – 2022 Comments on DUP Boycott of Stormont

    Deirdre Hargey – 2022 Comments on DUP Boycott of Stormont

    The comments made by Deirdre Hargey, the Sinn Fein Minister for the Communities, on 17 August 2022.

    News today that gas prices will rise again by up to 30% in October is another kick in the teeth for people whose bills are already through the roof.

    There is £435 million sitting in a Stormont bank account that can help ease the pressures people are facing, but it cannot be spent because the DUP are blocking an Executive.

    People are bewildered that a DUP minister is attending meetings to find workarounds to get the £400 energy payment out to households when the obvious solution is for him and his colleagues to get back to work around the Executive table.

    I am calling on DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to end this cruel boycott of government and stop punishing ordinary workers and families who are struggling to pay their bills. Their refusal is a dereliction of duty.

    Sinn Féin is ready to form an Executive today, to work with others, and put money in people’s pockets to tackle the cost-of-living emergency.

  • Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Supporting Businesses in Northern Ireland

    Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Supporting Businesses in Northern Ireland

    The comments made by Caoimhe Archibald, the Economic Spokesperson for Sinn Fein, on 16 August 2022.

    We are in the midst of a cost-of-living emergency which has reduced the ability of workers and families to buy even basics with some people facing the choice between heating or eating.

    This has had a knock-on effect on retailers who have experienced the biggest drop in sales in ten years which has resulted in businesses closing their doors as they struggle to cope with rising costs, particularly of energy bills.

    Inflation is at a 40-year high and workers and families are struggling with ongoing rises to the price of food, fuel and electricity.

    There is a real onus on the British Government to allocate funding to support our businesses and protect jobs, to date they have failed to take any action to help businesses.

    The reduced rate of VAT should also be reintroduced for businesses that had it reduced during the pandemic, including bars and restaurants.

    The British government must get real on the impact of the soaring cost of living and cost of doing business.

    The DUP should end its boycott of our democratic institutions so we can get money out to those who are struggling.

  • Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on GP Availability Crisis in Northern Ireland

    Colm Gildernew – 2022 Comments on GP Availability Crisis in Northern Ireland

    The comments made by Colm Gildernew, the spokesperson for Sinn Fein on health, on 16 August 2022.

    It is concerning to hear how surgeries are struggling to cope in our growing health crisis.

    We have news of several GP practices in Belfast applying to close down access to new patients joining them.

    Too many patients are not getting the care they need while others struggle to get to see a doctor at all and urgent action is needed to address this.

    We need an Executive up and running now to invest an extra £1 billion in the health service to recruit more doctors and nurses, to help people who can’t get access to a GP and are stuck on waiting lists.

    The DUP should end its boycott of government now, form an Executive and stop blocking this money being put into our health service.

  • Boris Johnson – 2022 Comments on the Infected Blood Scandal

    Boris Johnson – 2022 Comments on the Infected Blood Scandal

    The comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 17 August 2022.

    While nothing can make up for the pain and suffering endured by those affected by this tragic injustice, we are taking action to do right by victims and those who have tragically lost their partners by making sure they receive these interim payments as quickly as possible.

    We will continue to stand by all those impacted by this horrific tragedy, and I want to personally pay tribute to all those who have so determinedly fought for justice.

  • Kit Malthouse – 2022 Comments on the Infected Blood Scandal

    Kit Malthouse – 2022 Comments on the Infected Blood Scandal

    The comments made by Kit Malthouse, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 17 August 2022.

    Those affected by the infected blood scandal have suffered terribly over many years and that heart-breaking and unimaginable pain has been compounded by the financial uncertainty many have faced.

    These interim payments will start the process of securing that certainty. My priority is to get the money to those people as quickly as possible.

    I am grateful to Sir Brian Langstaff for the work he has done to date on the inquiry, and Sir Robert Francis, for his work on compensation. Of course, no amount of money will compensate for the turmoil victims and their loved ones have faced, but I hope these payments help to show that we are on their side and will do everything in our power to support them.

  • Steve Barclay – 2022 Comments on the Infected Blood Scandal

    Steve Barclay – 2022 Comments on the Infected Blood Scandal

    The comments made by Steve Barclay, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 17 August 2022.

    The infected blood scandal should never have happened. In accepting Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations, today we are taking an important step in righting this historic wrong for the thousands of people infected and bereaved partners left behind.

    Building on the ongoing support we are providing through the England Infected Blood Scheme, these new interim payments of £100,000 will ensure those impacted across the whole country by this injustice can access the compensation they need, right now.

    I’m grateful to those who have campaigned extensively in support of these changes – we have listened and work is underway to ensure those impacted by this tragedy receive the support they rightly deserve.

  • Kit Malthouse – 2022 Comments on Bolstering UK’s Resilience

    Kit Malthouse – 2022 Comments on Bolstering UK’s Resilience

    The comments made by Kit Malthouse, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on 16 August 2022.

    To make sure that government continues to offer the best possible prevention and protection against threats, we are shaking up how we prepare for and respond to emergencies, strengthening the effective resilience capability we already have in place.

    We will launch a new public emergency alerts system in the Autumn which will focus on extreme weather, revolutionising our ability to ‘warn and inform’ people who are in significant and immediate danger. These alerts will be sent direct to people’s mobiles giving details of the emergency – such as local flooding – explaining what to do and how to seek help.

    Our vital COBR unit – which leads the government’s response to acute domestic and international emergencies – will be bolstered by a dedicated team helping to future-proof us from harm. This National Resilience Framework Team will take a deeper look at our approach to risk and how we mitigate it and help us take huge leaps forward in terms of collecting, analysing and using live data.

  • Gerry Kelly – 2022 Comments on Bonfires in Derry

    Gerry Kelly – 2022 Comments on Bonfires in Derry

    The comments made by Gerry Kelly, the Sinn Fein MLA, on 15 August 2022.

    Scenes from bonfires in Derry tonight are absolutely disgraceful and wrong.

    The burning of flags, wreaths and posters which include politicians and other political figures is deeply offensive and is a hate crime.

    There is no place for these displays of hate anywhere in our society. It must stop now.

    It’s in stark contrast to the many excellent community festivals that are taking place across the city; celebrating art, culture, the future and everything that is good about Derry and the people who live in it.

  • Tessa Jowell – 2012 Comments on Sports in Schools

    Tessa Jowell – 2012 Comments on Sports in Schools

    The comments made by Tessa Jowell, the then Shadow Cabinet Minister for the Olympics, on 10 January 2012.

    There is much to welcome in the Government’s announcement today, not least the fact that they have woken up late in the day to the need to secure our legacy promise to inspire a generation of young people through the Olympics.

    We particularly welcome the focus on reversing the drop off in participation rates in sport among young people above the age of 14 and the steps which build on Labour’s legacy to encourage schools to open their sports facilities to the whole community.

    Ensuring that Sports Governing Bodies’ links with schools is important too; clubs on school sites are vital to prevent a drop off in sports participation post 16.

    However, retaining the School Sports Partnership Coordinators introduced by Labour to ensure young people are enthused about sport in school in the first place will be paramount if this strategy is to be delivered. It makes no sense to make one set of sports coordinators redundant just as it becomes imperative to develop new links between schools and Sports Governing Bodies.

    It is also not the case that there was a decrease in participation under Labour – the number of people participating in sport for half an hour three times a week rose each year from 2005 and only fell in 2010 when the Coalition came to power.

    This strategy from the Government will only yield results in the long run. We therefore invite the Government to continue this key part of our Olympic legacy commitments on a cross-party basis in order that sport has the security and certainty it needs going forwards.