‘SDLP sniping from sidelines’ – Hazzard | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

‘SDLP sniping from sidelines’ – Hazzard

Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard has said that the only contribution from the SDLP to farmers in the crisis over the recent snowfall was to snipe from the sidelines in an attempt to make cheap political points.

Sinn Fein MLA Chris Hazzard

Speaking to Newry Times, Hazzard said, “The SDLP needs to look at their own party’s record in helping farmers before attempting to criticise others.

“When the snow was thick on the ground the SDLP was noticeably missing as the Minister acted decisively to aid the farmers. Her actions at the time and her swift announcement of a hardship fund were praised by the both Farmers Unions and individual farmers alike.

“The only contribution from the SDLP so far to helping the farmers is sniping from the sidelines at the Minister yet they fail to tell us how they have contributed to ease the plight of the farmers.

“They stood for Westminster on the ticket they would stop cuts yet the Agriculture budget has been decimated without a word of opposition from the Westminster Agricultural committee which SDLP Margaret Ritchie sits on.

Hazzard added, “I am now challenging the SDLP to tell the farmers why they have failed to live up to their election promise of stopping these cuts which not only hampers the ability of the Assembly Agriculture Department to deal with emergencies but also to invest in future projects that would have enhanced the lives of the rural community.”

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=31559

Posted by on May 16 2013. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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