‘Shambolic programme for government silent on Brexit’ – McNulty

SDLP Assembly Member for Newry and Armagh Justin McNulty MLA has said that the Executive’s Programme for Government cannot continue to be silent on Brexit.

McNulty was speaking after the SDLP submitted a formal response to the Executive’s Programme for Government proposals.

McNulty said, “It is inconceivable that the Executive’s strategy for the next five years is silent on the biggest constitutional, social and economic upheaval on these islands since the Good Friday Agreement.

“Brexit poses huge challenges for this region and this island. But nowhere are those challenges more acute than in border areas like Newry and Armagh.

“I get the very strong impression that some within Stormont Executive see the concerns being raised around Brexit as some sort of fantasy hysterics and they fail to realise the real consequences it will have on our daily lives in this region.

The local MLA continued, “While the First Minister has continued to defy the will of people across this region by aligning herself with the band of brexiteers, the SDLP has been getting down to the business of defending the democratically stated wishes of people here.

“We have met with political leaders across these islands and across this continent to further the emerging consensus that Northern Ireland will not be dragged out of the EU against our will.

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“The effect of a withdrawal from the EU and the single market would be devastating for the border economy and for our way of life. That’s why we’ve been absolutely clear that the re-emergence of a physical border across Ireland is absolutely unacceptable. Any new frontier with Britain must be around this island, not across it.

“Businesses in Newry and Armagh know better than most that the return of a hard border with customs checks will devastate our local economy. We must all defend their interests and the interests of our local workforce.

McNulty added, “The Programme for Government should set out a resilient negotiating position for the Executive but instead it is timidly silent on the issue. The SDLP will not be silent. We will continue to stand up for the majority which spoke in favour of EU membership here.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Jul 25 2016. 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