Speech by East Londonderry candidate Jordan Armstrong:
The subject which I have been assigned today is, I am sorry to say, a depressing one. Unfortunately it is all the more depressing because of the refusal of the powers that be, to face up to the reality of the challenges facing our traders, manufactures and agri-food workers.
A week ago today the Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell told another conference: “Don’t let anybody tell you that manufacturing in Northern Ireland is in a difficult position”.
Well Mr Bell, explain your comment to the workers from, JTI Gallaghers, Schrader Electronics, Shorts, Sirroco, Caterpillar, Invista and the staff at Michelin.
In total, 2,500 high-value manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last year!
Minister these 2,500 workers, unlike you, cannot deny the reality of pressures on manufacturing, they have to confront the fact of no wage at the end of the month with a family to provide for, a mortgage to pay for and a car to keep on the road!
Jobs have been lost from successful companies, which have been vital to our economy, yet the Enterprise Minister comes out with words of denial – “there is nothing to worry about!”
Denial seems to have become a common trait within the DUP. They have shown that by acting as if they deny the existence of the IRA Army Council!
And what was the reason for Michelin closing? It wasn’t, as some would suggest, high corporation tax!
Frankly, no one in the executive seems to have any idea of how to help the economy other than lowering corporation tax. But that wasn’t the issue here. The issue with Michelin was high energy prices.
Stephen Kelly, Chief Executive of manufacturing NI, commented;
“Energy is the third largest input cost for business after labour and materials costs. Many NI manufacturers suffers the 2nd most expensive electricity in Europe”.
TUV warned of the danger to Michelin three years ago when our leader said the following:
“The facts are indisputable: since the Executive committed us to the all-island Single Electricity Market our prices have diverged from the lower GB prices to align more with the higher ROI prices. Why? Because in large measure we are subsidising the Republic’s highly inefficiently and costly generation and transmission systems.
“Competitive energy prices are imperative for a high consumption operator like Michelin. Thus, every penny in difference in the unit price of electricity makes a huge difference. These higher electricity prices are placing Michelin at Ballymena at a disadvantage in its internal competition with other Michelin plants and external competition.”
The single transferable speech on corporation tax just doesn’t cut it. Importantly, it also ignores the fact that if we cut the level of corporation tax in Northern Ireland we will also, as a result of EU law,
have to see a corresponding cut to our block grant meaning less money for our schools, hospitals and roads.
But even if that wasn’t the case who in their right mind would dream of granting Stormont, which has made such a mess of the powers it already has, fiscal powers?
We need to see quality jobs attracted to Northern Ireland. We are losing well paid jobs and if they are replaced at all, they are replaced by call centre jobs. Even then, Invest NI seems incapable of seeing the importance of attracting jobs or proactively seeking foreign direct investment in manufacturing, as they commented; “they do not consider Northern Ireland to have a competitive advantage.” This is not the attitude we need to retain high valued jobs!
AGRICULTURE
Our Agriculture sector has had its fair share of difficulties. The shackles of Europe has done nothing to help ease this burden.
The beef and sheep industry are experience difficulties with an oversupply of produce, which is pushing down the value of their product.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union said; “that opening new export markets outside of Europe is crucial to help absorb any oversupply and help add financial value to red meat produce”
The ongoing difficulty within the dairy sector has seen farmers hit with great financial pressure with the significant drop in milk price.
The financial package that farmers are soon to receive came with much difficulty due to EU bureaucracy. As UK tax payers we pay £19billion pa into Brussels, and the legislation to allow farmers their
payment, comes only through Brussels. EU membership is robbing us of the ability to make our own decisions and helping our farmers during difficult times such as this.
Some talk about EU entitlements to farming. That is nonsense. The UK only gets back a fraction of what it pays into the EU. It isn’t EU money. It’s a very tiny amount of our own money back! Those entitlements could not only be replaced but made more generous if paid by our own national Government, free from Brussels.
Farming and the resulting agri-food industry is central to our economic success.
With the current focus on ‘Going for Growth’ remember that we don’t have the ability to strike up our own deals outside of Europe. That is left to the EU Trade Commissioner!
That the EU Trade Commissioner acts as the negotiator for our economic growth in our country, taking such key decisions out of our hands, is beyond belief!
As a whole the farming sector would avail of a more generous package outside of Europe. It will allow us access to more markets to export to, under our agreements, developing a strong export strategy, under our control, reducing the burden of red tape, under our authority and providing emergency help when essential, with our legislation!
The TUV is unapologetically a friend of the farming community.
And in this industry as in so many others we would be better off outside the EU.
Thank you.