Mr Robinson said,
“I am delighted to be opening this new office for Peter Martin as he serves the people of North Down in the NI Assembly. His role serves as a reminder of what can be achieved with unionist cooperation.
Peter has also proved to be very effective in the chamber and committees holding the Ulster University to account in how they used an exceptional recruitment process to employ the former North Down MP and his Adviser.
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In my Conference speech I said that we have a Labour Government with a historic majority. They have the strength and space to make significant and strategic change across the UK. They have the numbers and the power.
The first two months of their tenure demonstrated that such strength won’t always be used for good. They had the power to protect pensioners yet chose to pick their pockets instead. They had the power to develop and enhance City Deals that we, as a party secured, yet they threw them into jeopardy.
This week I was pleased to meet representatives from Causeway Coast and Glens as well as the Mid South West region in London as they continued the call for those City Deals to be unpaused.
Last night I was speaking in Upper Bann to Party supporters and reminded them that the initial City Deal decision made no financial or political sense. Its time the Government recognised its madness, and the decision should be reversed. That can be a welcome first step towards the Government taking action and delivering on issues of importance for people.
We have submitted a letter to the Treasury ahead of the Budget on Wednesday. That will be another significant opportunity to test the rhetoric of the Labour Party in opposition against the actions of the Labour Party in government.
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Northern Ireland’s economy is grounded on trade within our own country. Supporting business and encouraging trade within the United Kingdom is vital to Northern Ireland. The appointment of a Chair to Intertrade UK was an important first step, secured by this party, but its work needs to start and businesses need to be able to engage with that body which has a specific focus on trade within our United Kingdom.
Alongside inaction, Labour has taken decisions to delay the agreement on parcels, to delay the agreement on customs and avoided taking the decision on UK-wide labelling. These and many other issues were also supported by the then Labour Party in opposition. They are required to be implemented by the now Labour Government. They should get on with delivering what businesses and the people of Northern Ireland need.”