Statement by TUV East Londonderry Assembly candidate Jordan Armstrong:
“I welcome this week’s great announcement that local manufacturing company Seating Matters plans to create 64 new jobs. It’s great to see local businesses thriving and having the confidence to expand. This is a credit to the forward planning of the company and the skills of local people.
“The news is a much needed boost for the local area, as Limavady has one of the highest unemployment rates in Northern Ireland.
“Figures published last week from The Detail website looked into the performance of Invest NI in Northern Ireland. Shamefully they showed that Limavady is 23rd out of 26 areas when it comes to support from Invest NI.
“The figures also exposed the funding imbalance between the East and West of the Province. Currently the West only receives 19% (£60million) of Invest NI funding compared to the staggering 81% (£263million) the East receives. This highlights the disproportionate focus Invest NI has on the East which has led many parts of the Province feeling left behind. Each part of Northern Ireland should receive an equal opportunity, enabling businesses to prosper and raising the standard of living for those in the area.
“These statistics also raise the question, Have our local politicians paid full attention to the area they represent? It’s clear; there is a lack of progress in Limavady from our elected politicians. Important issues like this need full attention and addressed by our politicians. The TUV are serious about our commitment to the people we represent, giving them our full attention and not double jobbing.
“Small to medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Northern Ireland economy. We want to encourage an entrepreneurial business culture. This is essential to the future growth of our economy. Leaving the EU will also enable us to export to new markets under our own negotiation deals. This is paramount to economic growth.
“As someone who has experienced first-hand the lack of opportunity for work in the North West, I want to represent East Londonderry as a TUV MLA as this is somewhere I feel strongly passionate about and have an aspiration for this constituency to be prosperous, creating vital jobs and supporting local businesses.”