Tag: Ulster Unionist Party

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 18 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Policing Board representative Mike Nesbitt MLA said:

“Last night’s attack on police officers in Strabane was an attack on the entire community.

“In addition to the widespread disruption caused to the local community in that area of Strabane, two police officers will have been traumatised and my thoughts and best wishes are with those officers, their families and their colleagues at this time.

“Every single community in Northern Ireland is entitled to a police service. Nobody has the right to attack anyone, least of all police officers whose role is to keep us all safe and to solve crime. The bravery of our police officers is in total contrast to the cowardice of those who skulk in the shadows and plot to attack them.

“Whether you want a new Ireland, a united Ireland or a partitioned Ireland, you have no right, no authority and no mandate to murder police officers or anyone else.

“Whoever was responsible for this attack is trying to drag this country back to a past we have long since left behind. They have nothing positive or of any use to offer and they need to be caught, brought before the courts and punished to the full extent of the law.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 17 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Finance Spokesperson, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has said that the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) assessment and projections highlight very starkly the challenges which the UK economy faces.

Steve Aiken said:

“The Chancellor’s statement, coming so soon after his predecessor’s debacle, is a sobering acceptance of the state of our economy and public finances.

“While much effort will have to be devoted to examining the detail, it is clear that while such things as the triple pension lock have been retained and there is to be a £200 heating oil payment to all households in Northern Ireland – whether they use heating oil or not – there are now very real constraints on public spending coupled with major tax increases.

“The announcement of additional Barnett consequentials of £650M is obviously welcome and will assist in meeting pressures, but it still doesn’t disguise the very real challenges that we face.

“The OBR (Office of Budget Responsibility) assessment of our Nation entering recession, coupled with low anticipated growth rates for the next 4 years and inflation remaining above 7% for the next year at least, adds a further cold dose of reality as living standards are set to drop this year by the biggest margin since 1956 when records began.

“Despite the additional Barnett funding, there is no substitute for having our own ministers shaping our own public services as we face into these straitened circumstances – the OBR forecast should be a wake-up call to all political parties here.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 16 November 2022.

Commenting on the latest problems highlighted by the inclusion of medicines in the Protocol, Ulster Unionist Party leader, Doug Beattie MC MLA, said:

“Medicines should never have been included in the Protocol in the first place and the EU`s proposals were not a long-term solution. We said that from the very start and as part of our Assembly election manifesto, stated that they should be ‘removed from the scope of the Protocol.’

“Whilst some politicians claimed that medicines had been sorted, the opposite is the case. Patients in Northern Ireland could be at risk of losing out from equitable access to new and innovative drugs that become available for patients across the rest of the UK. Given the ongoing progress that is being made with new cancer drugs, new cancer treatments in Northern Ireland could be especially vulnerable.

“The issue was highlighted once again by my colleague, the former Health Minister Robin Swann, just before ministers were removed from office in October. Steve Aiken MLA asked the Health Minister ‘for an update on the ongoing divergence issues related to medicines and the Northern Ireland Protocol.’

As part of his response, Robin stated, ‘there remain issues associated with the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol for medicines that risk divergence between Northern Ireland and Great Britain’ and ‘in relation to Centrally Authorised Products, differences in regulatory approval timelines and authorisation conditions between Northern Ireland and Great Britain are increasing in frequency and complexity. This is placing at risk my Department’s long standing policy link with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), for the managed entry of new medicines in Northern Ireland.’

“The risks are very real and need urgently addressed. The EU needs to recognise the problems created by the inclusion of medicines in the Protocol. The need for medicines used in Northern Ireland to have FMD compliance should be removed.

“In addition the UK and EU also urgently need to support a parallel system between MHRA and EMA for Centrally Authorised Products in order to ensure equitable access to medicines for patients in Northern Ireland. The best solution remains that medicines should be removed from the scope of the Protocol completely. The people of Northern Ireland should have access to the same medicines as any other part of the United Kingdom.

“It’s more important than ever that concerns on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland are being raised via the UK Cabinet Office in the current negotiations. The loss of an interim Health Minister makes that task even more difficult with no voice at the table.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 16 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Finance Spokesperson, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has welcomed today’s announcement that three Royal Navy support ships are to be built in Belfast after a Harland & Wolff led consortium was selected as the preferred bidder.

Steve Aiken, who is a Royal Navy veteran, said:

“The awarding of a £1.6 Bn contract to build three support ships for the Royal Navy to a consortium led by Harland & Wolff is indeed great news which will be welcomed by all.

“This contract will result in the resumption of ship-building at Harland and Wolff and is a huge vote of confidence in our maritime industries. It represents a tremendous opportunity to create new high quality manufacturing jobs that we can sustain well into the future. These ships will provide vital support to the Royal Navy at sea, assist in the defence of the UK and help us support our allies and engage in humanitarian missions around the globe.

“With Artemis leading the way in new low-emission shipping technology and the improvements and developments in the Port of Belfast itself, there can be no doubt that this announcement marks the renaissance, in the 21st century, of our historic connection with the sea.

“Harland &Wolff last built a ship in 2003, so it will be a moment of great pride to see ships built in Belfast leaving from our shores again.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 10 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Communities Spokesperson and East Belfast MLA, Andy Allen MBE, has described the findings of research from the Trussell Trust, which highlight that the number of food parcels handed out by food banks has increased by 25%, with 10,000 more people seeking help for the first time, as demonstrating the stark reality of life for many households across Northern Ireland.

Mr Allen said:

“Whilst sadly not surprising, these findings highlight the stark reality facing many households across Northern Ireland who are being pushed beyond the brink by the cost of living crisis – they desperately need support. I do recognise that Westminster has delivered some support, but it is not enough. The promised £400 electricity discount is yet to be delivered, with little to no detail beyond ‘it is coming’, making it impossible for households to plan and budget. However, across the rest of the United Kingdom, devolved administrations and local councils are actively delivering localised support but, once again, Northern Ireland is left behind.

“I am not saying the return of the Northern Ireland Executive would be the panacea but rather, at a minimum, it could be working to deliver and develop localised solutions and interventions focusing on the short, medium and long-term. However, with each passing day, it is a day missed to be developing and delivering this much-needed support.

“Meanwhile, we have anti-poverty and fuel poverty strategies lying on a shelf gathering dust, no safety net for households at risk of energy disconnection, and a significant number of homes with poorly insulated cavity walls and roof-spaces, resulting in up to 35% of their heat being lost. To compound that, there are no Ministers in place to take the local decisions required to provide a level of support and intervention, and instead it is our third sector who are yet again stepping up to fill the void. This is wholly unacceptable.

“If the DUP had the influence they would claim to have, in respect of the Northern Ireland protocol – and which clearly needs to be addressed – why haven’t they ensured the much-needed energy bills support scheme (the £400 electricity discount) was delivered at the same time as England, which commenced at the beginning of October? People are really suffering and they deserve better than this.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 9 November 2022.

Former Ulster Unionist Health Minister, Robin Swann MLA said:

“Whilst it is a decision I of course wish could have been avoided, few will be surprised by this result. Our nurses are experiencing the exact same soaring cost of living pressures as all those right across society. Notably however our HSC workers are also being deprived of even their basic independently recommended pay increases for 2022/23 as a result of the ongoing political instability in Northern Ireland.

“The previous industrial action in late 2019 and early 2020 was a key factor in the establishment of the last Executive. Within four days of taking up the role as Minister of Health I had worked with HSC trade unions and presented the plan to Executive colleagues that ultimately brought the action to an end.

“Whilst there were several reasons behind the previous action, essentially the three key asks were the reintroduction of pay parity, an increase to the workforce and a commitment to safe staffing legislation. I was pleased to be able to resolve each of those by delivering the immediate restoration of pay parity, setting an all-time high of 1,325 nurse and midwifery training places each year – which I increased further again this year – as well commencing the long process to deliver safe and sustainable legal staffing levels.

“Whilst an awful lot has changed from January 2020, not least with the onset of the pandemic, one thing that shouldn’t have is the basic expectation that our HSC workers should be paid no less than their counterparts in England. Yet due to the collapse of a functioning Executive earlier this year that’s exactly what has happened. It’s shameful and it’s ridiculous that given the well-known scale of pressures weighing down on our health service that the mistakes of the past are so quickly being repeated.

“Had an Executive been in place during the summer I could have immediately started the process of delivering the recommended increases in pay for our workers. Yet in the absence of an Executive, the absence of an agreed Budget and no wider decision on public sector pay – legally I wasn’t able to.

“That is why earlier this week I wrote to the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris urging him to use his powers to maintain pay parity. Whilst it’s really concerning there was no reference to this in his statement to the House of Commons, I would still hope that in the days ahead he recognises the harm to morale, as well as the disruption to key services, that will be inflicted if the inequity continues and isn`t addressed.

“Whilst I appreciate the implementation of the pay review body recommendations alone would likely not have been enough to avert the decision of the RCN membership, it would be the necessary and absolutely essential first-step if we are to avoid the prospect of ongoing industrial action and disruption to HSC services over a considerable period.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 8 November 2022.

UUP Finance spokesperson, Steve Aiken OBE MLA said:

“The report from the Fiscal Council today starkly lays out the challenges that the public sector faces in Northern Ireland. The absence of an Executive, coupled with the inability to prioritise services, has helped create a set of fiscal pressures that if unresolved will roll over into next year’s budget and beyond.

“After all parties called for the stability of multi-year budgets, the current situation of no in year budget, only being able to spend up to 95% of previously agreed totals and no forward planning for the years ahead, is a damning indictment of failure. Sinn Fein and the DUP have much to explain for over a decade of fiscal mismanagement.

“The UUP is seeking an urgent meeting with the Department of Finance’s Permanent Secretary to gain clarity on the department’s proposals on addressing budgetary pressures and the future budget process.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 8 November 2022.

Ulster Unionist Peer Lord Empey has welcomed a written answer received from NIO Minister Lord Caine, in which Lord Caine made it clear that the Government will not be considering Joint Authority for Northern Ireland.

Lord Empey said:

“Recently there were a number of calls for joint authority between London and Dublin to be imposed if there is no restoration of an Executive at Stormont.

“The Ulster Unionist Party obviously rejects any idea of Joint Authority and would regard it as the clearest possible breach of the principle of consent, thereby dealing a fatal blow to the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

“Seeking clarity, I tabled a question asking His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for the establishment of joint authority over Northern Ireland by the UK and the government of the Republic of Ireland. (HL3051).

“I have now received a response and I welcome the clarity it provides. Lord Caine said ‘Joint authority is not and will not be considered by this Government. As we set out clearly in our Northern Ireland manifesto at the 2019 General Election, the consent principle in the 1998 Belfast Agreement governs the constitutional position of Northern Ireland. On that basis, Northern Ireland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom.’

Lord Caine also said that ‘the manifesto said: “A Conservative Government will always defend and uphold the consent principle as set out in the Belfast Agreement and we will never agree to any arrangements that are inconsistent with it”. Our manifesto also set out our commitment to the long-established three-stranded approach to Northern Ireland affairs, under which internal, Strand One, matters are for the Northern Ireland parties and the United Kingdom government ultimately to decide. We will continue to stand by these manifesto commitments.’

“The Ulster Unionist Party welcomes this answer and the clarity it provides and trusts that this will put an end to talk of Joint Authority, which is as unhelpful as it is unwelcome.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionist Party on 8 November 2022.

Following the sad passing of former Ulster Unionist MLA Sam Gardiner MBE, the Ulster Unionist Party Leader Doug Beattie MC MLA said:

“Sam Gardiner was first elected as an Ulster Unionist to Lurgan Borough Council in 1963 and was elected Mayor in 1968, the town’s youngest ever First Citizen. He was subsequently elected to the new Craigavon Borough Council and served as Mayor three times, in 1982/3, 1988/9 and 2000/1.

“He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum 1996 as a representative for Upper Bann and then to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2003, 2007 and 2011, serving as Father of the House until his retirement in 2016.

“He was a former High Sheriff for County Armagh and was appointed as a Justice of the Peace. He was also a member of the Orange Order, deputy Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution, a former chairman of Glenavon FC and was awarded the MBE.

“Sam was a very friendly and personable man who was held in high esteem by Council and Stormont colleagues across all parties and by the electorate. He was a man of conviction, a man of passion and a man of dedicated service. The Party will be the lesser for his passing.

“On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party I would like to send my deepest condolences to Sam’s family and his many friends at this sad time.”

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 7 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s East Antrim MLA John Stewart, and the Party Leader Doug Beattie MC MLA, have condemned the latest threat made to the family of Glenn Quinn who was murdered in an attack in his own home in Carrickfergus in January 2020.

East Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA John Stewart said:

“How low can they go? These lowlives who wrap themselves in flags of convenience and call themselves paramilitaries, not content with murdering a terminally ill man, are continuing with a campaign of intimidation against Glenn Quinn’s brother and 78-year-old mother. Martin and Ellen have shown great bravery in continuing to call out these gangsters. I fully support their demand of justice for Glenn.”

Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie who has met the Quinn family along with John Stewart added:

“This is yet another disgusting twist in this appalling story. Martin and Ellen Quinn deserve the support of the entire community, and the gangsters who are issuing threats against them deserve nothing but contempt.

“The Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) have been quick to make statements in recent days. Where do they stand on this one? The law abiding, good people of Carrickfergus need to hear a clear and straight condemnation of the South East Antrim UDA from the LCC.”