THE DEMOCRATIC Unionist Party (DUP) has today launched its Northern Ireland Assembly election campaign, promising voters that it will focus on fixing the health system, tackling the cost of living crisis and replacing the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Launching the campaign in Dundonald Omniplex in east Belfast this morning, party leader Jeffrey Donaldson outlined the five areas the parties will focus on if elected:
- Fixing the National Health Service;
- Growing the economy;
- Helping working families;
- Working to see the removal of the Irish Sea Border, and;
- Keeping schools world-class.
"The choice facing the people of Northern Ireland is clear," he said.
"The people will decide whether Northern Ireland’s future is one focused on fixing our health system, tackling the cost of living crisis and replacing the Protocol or focused on a divisive Border Poll."
He said Sinn Féin are "counting on unionists being divided and demoralised" and that such a path is "their only route to victory."
"But that’s not the message I am hearing on the doorstep. Unionists know it’s important to unite. We have done it before, and we can do it again."
Donaldson said he and his party will take the five-point plan to every part of Northern Ireland over the next four weeks.
Promises
The DUP says it will drive down medical waiting lists by investing an extra £1 billion, deliver an additional 750,000 hospital assessments and procedures and train more GPs.
It also wants to reward frontline staff by ending dependency on agencies.
As part of its plan to help working families, Donaldson said the party will deliver in the next mandate 30 hours free childcare per week and we will ensure there is fair access to pre-school places.
It wants to defend academic selection "against the onslaught of those who would destroy parental choice," introduce a cap on school uniform costs and widen access to breakfast and homework clubs.
Plans for growing the economy will see the party support the creation of 20,000 new jobs in the next five years, deliver fibre broadband to all parts of Northern Ireland and make tourism a £2 billion industry.
Donaldson also said they will make it clear that the Northern Ireland Protocol must be removed and replaced with arrangement "that restore Northern Ireland's place within the United Kingdom."
"Our five-point plan is about ensuring everyone in Northern Ireland moves forward together," he said.
"Our plan is about ensuring we move in the right, not the wrong direction."
"As part of our plan to help working families we will deliver in the next mandate 𝟯𝟬 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 and we will ensure there is 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀."
@J_Donaldson_MP pic.twitter.com/7Woo0IHuxi— DUP (@duponline) April 4, 2022
Candidates
Donaldson described the 30 DUP candidates that are running in the election as "a blend of youth and experience."
"Each one of them is connected to the communities they seek to represent and they understand the needs of our people."
Donaldson said he wants to "broaden and deepen support for Northern Ireland's place in the Unite Kingdom."
"We shouldn’t be afraid to make the case for the Union at every opportunity.
"The case for a united Ireland is based on economic myths and fantasy politics; the political facts of life are unionist."
Outlining the benefits of being part of the United Kingdom, he then asked "Is it any wonder that so many Irish people choose to move to live in the United Kingdom?"
Speaking about he Northern Ireland Protocol, he said that while only a fraction of it has been implemented, "it is already taking a toll on our economy and the political process."
"Barriers to trade have been created with our largest market, inevitably leading to devastating consequences," he continued. "Every day Northern Ireland is subjected to some new protocol problem that bedevils a business, a consumer, a sector or the population.
"Every day, it is estimated that £2.5 million is the cost of the Protocol to our economy.
"The checks on the Irish Sea border are the symptom of the underlying problem, namely, that Northern Ireland is subject to a different set of laws imposed upon us by a foreign entity without any say or vote by any elected representative of the people of Northern Ireland."
Sinn Féin
"Sinn Fein makes no secret of the fact they want to win this election to argue for and implement their plan for a Border Poll," Donaldson said.
"If Sinn Fein wins the most seats in this election then Northern Ireland will face months and years of arguing and fighting about a divisive Border Poll rather than fixing our health service and focusing on rebuilding and growing our economy."
He said the DUP is the only party that can beat Sinn Féin, and mentioned Michelle O'Neill and her colleagues breaking Covid regulations in the early days of the pandemic when they attended the funeral of Bobby Storey.
"They want to plunge Northern Ireland into years of division and uncertainty," Donaldson said. "Their real focus is not the heath service or the cost-of-living crisis; it is in Michelle O’Neill and Gerry Adams’ own words, ‘to make history’."
"That is why we must win," he concluded.
"And that is why, on 5 May I believe we will deal a blow to Sinn Fein’s border poll ambitions."
Latest opinion polls place Sinn Féin ahead of the DUP by almost seven points.
