As we welcome the New Year, it is natural to reflect on the journey we’ve walked together, the challenges we’ve faced but for me as I begin my 40s, I am focused on the opportunities that lie ahead for Northern Ireland.
Our objective is to make Northern Ireland work by having a first-class health service, top quality schools and a prosperous economy firmly within the United Kingdom. That remains our focus.
In 2025, we will build on our hugely successful childcare subsidy scheme which has saved working families up to £160 per month and enabled them access affordable childcare. 2025 will also see the completion of our broadband scheme which has made Northern Ireland one of the best-connected regions in the world.
Despite the challenges of recent years, we have still achieved progress, and I remain inspired by the resilience and potential of the Northern Ireland people.
At the heart of our resilience is plain speaking. We call a spade a spade. In 2025, there is going to be a lot of plain speaking. If we are to turn around the health service and keep investing in schools, it will require us to do things differently.
With the Labour government content to create new funding pressures, some suggest ‘revenue raising’ as being the silver bullet to fix all our problems. I disagree. Budgets have been repeatedly increased, yet many outcomes have been getting worse. Of course, budgets must align with rising costs and demand, but not by bringing in new taxes and placing a greater burden on working families who are already overstretched. There must be better spending of the taxes already raised.
Recent revelations, like the cervical screening issues in the Southern Trust and failed building projects in the Belfast Trust, show the urgent need for greater accountability and better management in our health service.
The change required in our health service is not new taxes, its accountability with proper management.
The NHS should be the jewel in the crown of the United Kingdom, and I am determined to see it restored to the thing of beauty that it can be where we all make our contribution, and we all take care of each other.
In broader politics, the heart of Northern Ireland’s future is the Union. It provides us with the stability, strength, and opportunities that are vital for Northern Ireland to prosper. The same voices that doubted Northern Ireland’s place in the Union when I was a child continue to do so, but the strength of our Union has and will prove them wrong.
But being convinced of the Union means more than simply defending it, it means making it work for everyone. It means ensuring that Northern Ireland remains a place where people from all backgrounds can thrive and where everyone can feel a sense of belonging and pride in their community.
This is not without its challenges. Political uncertainty, economic pressures, and unresolved issues around the Protocol have tested us. Yet I firmly believe that we have the capacity to find solutions that respect our position within the United Kingdom, protect our place in the Union, and allow Northern Ireland’s economy to flourish.
The DUP has always stood firm in defending the Union and representing the interests of the people of Northern Ireland. We will continue to do so in the year ahead with determination, but also with a willingness to engage, listen, and lead.
I want to make Northern Ireland a thriving, prosperous, and cohesive part of the United Kingdom.
As we step into 2025, let us commit ourselves to working together. Whether it’s improving our health service or strengthening our economy, our shared goal must be to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland and make this place work.
I believe in Northern Ireland. I believe in its people, its potential, and its future as a valued and vibrant part of the United Kingdom. Let us make this year one of progress, partnership, and purpose.
Together, let us work to ensure 2025 is a year of real progress for our families, our communities, and our place within the United Kingdom.
I wish you and your families God’s richest blessings for a peaceful, prosperous, and hopeful New Year.