Speaking after an exchange at the Economy Committee at Stormont, Jonathan Buckley said:
“The Minister has stated that her priority is protecting the ‘all-island economy’, yet that is not her remit. Her responsibility is to champion the interests of Northern Ireland’s economy and its business community above all else.
I have businesses contacting me, calling for politicians to stand up for Northern Ireland as the impact of tariffs is felt across the global marketplace. Yet it appears ideology is driving the Sinn Fein Minister to place as much emphasis on the Republic of Ireland as on Northern Ireland.
That approach simply won’t work. Not only is the Republic of Ireland facing tariffs of 20 per cent—double the 10 per cent faced by the UK—but because of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which Sinn Fein championed, we risk being caught in the crossfire of a trade dispute between the EU and the US.
It’s time for the Minister to read her job description and focus on the role she was appointed to do—stand up for Northern Ireland and deliver for our local businesses and wider economy.”