- New faces but politics remain unaltered”
- Máirtín Ó Muilleoir’s role as Finance Minister to “out-Tory the Tories”
- Minister for Communities Paul Givan must be “removed from this office”
Cross-community, left-wing party Labour Alternative has responded to yesterday’s Ministerial appointments.
Sean Burns (19) – the party’s South Belfast representative – said:
“There are new faces around the Assembly Executive table but the politics of austerity, sectarianism and inequality will remain unaltered. The DUP and Sinn Féin will continue slashing jobs and public services, co-operating to deny women’s right to choose and maintaining division in their own narrow interests.”
“Sinn Féin’s fake opposition to austerity will be further exposed in the coming period. ‘Entrepreneur’ Máirtín Ó Muilleoir’s role as Finance Minister will be to out-Tory the Tories and oversee the cut to corporation tax which all the main parties championed, transferring hundreds of millions directly from public services to the profits of big business.”
East Belfast spokesperson Courtney Robinson added:
“By appointing Paul Givan – architect of the so-called ‘conscience clause’ – as Minister for Communities, the DUP are making a provocative statement that they will continue to trample on the rights of the LGBT community and the wishes of the large majority. We need to build a movement to demand that he is removed from this office, as part of the fight for equality.”
Conor Sheridan – who contested the Assembly election in East Antrim – concluded:
“The official Opposition of the UUP and SDLP offers no alternative. They support the same right-wing economic agenda and represent the same politics of division. The SDLP made a mockery of its claim to be a party of ‘civil rights’ when it helped block abortion in even the most difficult circumstances. Meanwhile, the Alliance Party has openly championed water charges and a rise in tuition fees. The Executive’s cuts and backward social policies must be challenged by building cross-community movements in the streets, workplaces and colleges. Labour Alternative will be front and centre in that struggle.”
