Harkin: We Deserve Better – Seize Opportunity For Real Alternative

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝘆𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 – 𝗦𝗲𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲

People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,

“The DUP’s decision to collapse the Stormont Assembly over the protocol is a reckless opportunistic stunt aimed at provoking sectarian tension. The vast majority of people have no issue with the protocol and want problems ironed out

This is the ultimate deflection by a party in crisis and decline. The DUP has nothing to offer but sectarianism and reaction.

However, Sinn Féin’s response that they and the Executive have been working to protect the vulnerable, workers and vital services is utter nonsense. The Executive has failed our communities and no amount of DUP deflection or Sinn Féin spin can obscure this.

We are in a cost of living crisis but the Executive has prioritised handouts to elites and the politically connected.

30% live below the poverty line in Derry but there’s been no urgency from any of the political establishment parties when it comes to hardship, pay rises, housing, mental health or climate action.

Welfare reform has brought increased hardship to communities and Capita has compounded this pain.

The Executive has denied women the right to choose, criminalised Black Lives Matter protests and done nothing to end the health service staffing crisis.

The Executive, dominated by the DUP and Sinn Féin, failed to deliver on the very committments it was previously restored on.

We deserve better than Stormont dysfunction and sectarianism. We urge people to seize this opportunity to build a real alternative communal division and cuts. There is another way. It’s time for change.”