Speaking afterwards Mr Robinson said,
“This was a useful opportunity to remind the Prime Minister of his Party’s commitments to Northern Ireland whilst in Opposition and to challenge him about a budget which is taxing our businesses to death.
Devolution was restored based on commitments within Safeguarding the Union. The Labour Party endorsed those commitments and should get on with implementing them. The work of Intertrade UK and the Independent Monitoring Panel are critical in helping with movement of goods from one part of the United Kingdom to another. They need to be able to get on with their work.
Building on the progress to date, we will continue our campaign to restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, including removing the application of EU law in our country and the internal Irish Sea Border it creates. We will continue to argue the case for the full primacy of the United Kingdom internal market and we will continue to reject the undermining of its integrity.
Labour's budget is not helping workers, it’s punishing them. From farmers to small business owners, many are fearful for the future. With increased Employer’s National Insurance and changes to inheritance tax, businesses are being pushed to the brink. This will result in job losses, rising costs for struggling consumers, and diminished competitiveness.
The Northern Ireland Civil Service faces a bill of more that £20m due to Employer’s National Insurance increases, our Education Department will have a bill of £50m for teachers and Local Government faces a £12m bill for Employer’s National Insurance. Instead of supporting reform, this budget piles new burdens onto already underfunded public services. Northern Ireland is still funded below assessed need, and this budget does nothing to address that injustice.”
#TaxedToDeath