Statement by TUV North Belfast candidate Ron McDowell:
“The impact of the pandemic has affected every corner of our society and its scars will be felt for decades to come. However, during the pandemic as a nation we stood united.
“Northern Ireland sent Covid tests and PPE to the other home nations and gratefully received its share of the UK’s skilfully ordered vaccine supplies. We are better off culturally, politically and economically when we as one United Kingdom stand together. Yet this weekend some have suggested that we would be better off in an all-Ireland.
“What folly!
“The might of the British economy and direction of funds from London allowed Northern Ireland to weather much of the Covid storm. In 2020-21, £19.6 billion flowed into the province via the block grant and an additional £3.3 billion was provided to protect public health and the economy during the pandemic. The UK-wide coronavirus support schemes supported around 330,000 people in Northern Ireland and more than £1.3 billion was issued to 35,000 firms since the start of the pandemic.
“The last few years have shown how tangible the benefits of the Union are.
“Irish-based academics in a paper published just prior to the pandemic were clear that should Northern Ireland’s subvention from Westminster end due to ‘Irish unification’ the economy would collapse with “calamitous unemployment and emigration”.
“Unification, with a rapid ending of transfers, would produce a dramatic fall in the standard of living in Northern Ireland. Unification, where Ireland took over responsibility for the transfers to Northern Ireland, would necessitate a major cut in the standard of living in Ireland in order to allow Northern Ireland to maintain a standard of living between 10% and 20% above the Irish standard.” (John Fitzgerald Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinity College, Dublin and Edgar Morgenroth, Professor of Economics in DCU Business School.)
“The figures for an all-Ireland just do not add up. For a higher standard of living and support in times of crisis, our place is in the Union. TUV will unashamedly defend Northern Ireland’s place in the UK because it is good for all people who call this Province home.”