Ulster Unionists welcome news that Gurkhas win their immigration case
The Ulster Unionist Party has welcomed news that a group of retired Gurkhas have won their right to settle in Britain following a test immigration case at London's High Court.
Archive for September, 2008
Bain Report is one dimensional
Alliance Party MLA, Stephen Farry, has expressed his concern at the one-dimensional nature of the Independent Review of Public Sector Jobs, led by Sir George Bain, that was published today.
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EU cost blow to British motorists
And, as is often the case with EU legislation, the less well paid and those who cannot afford to change to a newer car will be hit hardest.
The intention of the EU is to do away with an arrangement which allows motorists to have their vehicle repairs and servicing done by independent garages. As a result, drivers will be force to use the more expensive maker’ dealership garages.
The arrangement now under threat is known as the “Block Exemption”. In force since 2002, it obliges the motor industry to supply the parts – and, more importantly, computerised information – to the smaller independent garages. Without it they would be unable to repair and service cars.
So if the Block Exemption goes some 20,000 independent garages, which charge average hourly rates some 40% below those of their main dealer counterparts (typically £55.63 compared to £94.70), would struggle to survive. And once the independent garages have gone the main dealerships will be free more or less to charge what they like.
How can such “consumer unfriendly” legislation like this come about?
The EU and big business are two of a piece, so despite what the media and politicians tell you, the EU is no friend of the individual or the small trader.
Most of the major motor manufacturers are losing money hand over fist so one can assume that they have suggested legislation of this kind to Brussels in a bid to increase their profitability. Although Brussels will go through the motion of a “consultation with the industry”, the in-built bias in the legislation against small and independent garages is essentially a done deal. “Safeguards” negotiated by trade bodies to protect smaller garages are likely to prove worthless.
You might wonder why your elected representatives at Westminster aren’t leaping to the defence of small businesses and of the millions of consumers whose motoring costs will sky-rocket. The answer is that in the case of that three quarters of our laws that come direct from Brussels, the only practical course of action open to our MPs is to roll over and simply rubber-stamp it.
Left Alternative members protest at gas prices
Left Alternative members have been involved in protests outside British Gas in Cardiff, calling for a windfall tax on the company following price rises for the consumer and the announcement of profits of over £1 billion.
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Alliance is alternative for young people sick of failed politics
Speaking before tomorrow’s Queen’s University Freshers Fair, Alliance Youth Chair Stephen Martin urged young people to take an active role in shaping their own futures by joining the Alliance Party.
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Elliott condemns extreme animal cruelty in Loughbrickland.
Tom Elliott MLA, and Ulster Unionist Party Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Development has outlined his disgust at the discovery of what appears to be extreme cruelty and neglect of animals at the Littleacre Open Farm in Loughbrickland. Mr. Elliott will be seeking assurances from the Minister that she will take the necessary measures to ensure that incidences like this do not happen again.
McCarthy leads charge to protect ‘home help’ services
Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has today pushed the Health Minister to provide adequate home help services. Mr McCarthy is leading the campaign to save home help services and he proposed a motion in the Assembly on the issue today.
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Tory hypocrisy on post office closures
He was responding to a promise by shadow business secretary Alan Duncan to suspend post office closures, which drew cheers at the Tory conference in Birmingham.
“That is pretty rich coming from a party whose MEPs routinely vote in the European Parliament for the sort of EU regulations that have forced the government to close thousands of post offices,” said Mr Farage.
“Everyone knows that the the Royal Mail monopoly was ordered by Brussels and it is Brussels that has told the government that they can’t give subsidies to the existing network. And did the Tories in the European Parliament do anything to stop this? No, they did not. They went along with it, as they usually do with what Brussels wants.
“This is rank hypocrisy. The Tories say one thing to their constituents and something entirely different when they are helping to prop up the EU machine.”
UKIP is campaigning all over the country to prevent the closure of 2,500 post offices under the EU-inspired programme announced by the government.
Socialism for the rich
With the anxiety over the economy combined with rising costs in food, fuel, gas and electricity, many people are acutely aware that life will become more difficult in the coming months and years. And who knows how long this crisis will last?
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Address Rural Needs
Ulster Unionist Assembly Member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has stated that if the rural champion concept is to work, then the rural proofing part of the scheme must have teeth and be enforceable on all government departments in Northern Ireland, otherwise it will fail.
Get On With Governing–Sir Reg Empey
Speaking after yet another meeting of the Executive Committee had to be postponed, UUP Leader Sir Reg Empey said:
Alliance hails victory in their prescription charges’ campaign
Alliance Health spokesperson Kieran McCarthy MLA has welcomed today’s news that prescription charges are to be scrapped and said it was Alliance who led the campaign by raising the issue first in the Assembly, in their motion last year. Kieran McCarthy proposed a motion on 15 May 2007 calling for a review into prescription charges, which led the Minster to commission the review which brought about today’s announcement.
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Baby girl fire death "absolutely devastating" - Ford
Alliance South Antrim MLA David Ford has commented on the sad news that a 10 month old baby girl has died in a house fire on Saturday night in the Springfarm estate in Antrim. He has urged people to make sure that their fire alarms are in working order following this fire.
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Progress Towards Free Prescriptions
Following Gordon Brown's announcement earlier this week that the Westminster Government would legislate in England and Wales for free prescriptions for people with cancer, Ulster Unionist Party Health Spokesperson John McCallister MLA has urged Health Minister McGimpsey to continue with progress towards free prescriptions for everyone in Northern Ireland.
Families better off out of work
Chris Grayling has slammed Brown after new statistics revealed that some families in the UK are better off on benefits than in work.
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Seagate Closure Will Hit Hard
AS Seagate in Limavady closed its doors today for the last time, leaving 1,000 of its employees out of work, Ulster Unionist MLA for the area David McClarty has described the considerable impact it will have on the local community.
Alliance meets Ulster Unionists to discuss making Executive work
The Alliance Party recently met the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party and Leader David Ford said the meeting was very constructive, with both parties discussing how to improve the health budget and deliver on mental health services.
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Fish kill failure and Wilson’s comments are disgraceful
Alliance Sustainability Spokesperson Cllr Alan Lawther has labelled both the failure to detect the polluter who caused a major fish kill and Sammy Wilson’s comments on the issue a total disgrace. The fish kill happened on the Sixmilewater River in County Antrim in July.
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Vetting Process Needs To Speed Up- Elliott
Ulster Unionist Assembly member for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Tom Elliott MLA has expressed his concerns at the lengthy delay being experienced by many employers with Access NI who are charged with vetting job applicants who work with children or vulnerable people.