Jonathan Buckley
Upper Bann · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Sinn Féin's representatives in the European Parliament voted against proposals aimed at strengthening the management of illegal immigration and facilitating the return of failed asylum applicants — those who entered countries illegally — to designated return hubs outside the European Union.”
“Last year, Sinn Féin, alongside the open-border brigade of the Alliance Party and the SDLP, voted against my motion in the Assembly that called for action to address concerns about illegal and uncontrolled immigration.”
“People want an immigration system that is controlled, credible and properly enforced whilst ensuring that the genuine, heartfelt, lived experience and concerns of local citizens are at the heart of the debate. That is not an unreasonable position to take.”
“I highlight yet another example of a political party claiming to represent the views of people across the island of Ireland yet taking a position that is fundamentally out of step with the concerns being expressed by a vast number of people across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and, indeed, the rest of the United Kingdom, and t…”
“The Minister is aware and is, in fact, on record as having suggested that organised drug crime is happening in prisons. I have previously raised that matter in the Assembly.”
“Minister, I am sure that you agree that we cannot continue to leave residents in limbo. There has to be some progress on the matter. A number of unfinished developments have been lying stagnant for a long time, but the number is so small that it would not require that great an amount of money to ensure adequate facilities for residents, e…”
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“I may be the only one, but, since I got married three years ago, I have felt like I have shares in Amazon, because there is a regular parcel delivery at my house. That is replicated right across Northern Ireland. Our parcel delivery system with e-commerce is totally different from that of just 10 years ago. <BR /> <BR />The imposition of the charges will increase the cost of goods sourced from GB. As Dr Steve Aiken, my colleague on the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee, pointed out, it relates to millions of parcels right across Northern Ireland. Those parcels affect business: business-to-business trade and that of business to consumers. What are the impacts likely to look like? We have already seen evidence that shows a reduction in consumer choice, with 85 to 96 GB retailers no longer delivering to Northern Ireland.”
“Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker, and thank you to the Members who contributed to the debate. <BR /> <BR />I want to say this at the very outset: the motion is fundamentally about protecting Northern Ireland businesses and consumers from the unintended consequences of a new EU fee on small parcels. Why does that matter to Northern Ireland and to our businesses? Parcels moving from GB to Northern Ireland, which should be entirely UK internal trade, will face new costs, bureaucracy and uncertainty. This will undermine consumer choice and competitiveness. We are often accused of debating matters in the House that have no relevance to the outside world. Well, I argue that there is no more pressing concern for our consumers.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He will know very well that I share every concern that he has about the undemocratic nature of the arrangements that are in place and the harm that they are causing from the trade and sovereignty perspectives. However, will he accept that, if the devolved institutions were not here, he and I could have no faith that Keir Starmer would deliver a different result?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does she not accept that the genuine concerns that I have about how our relationship with our UK internal market has been decimated in many ways are legitimate and right to hold and are not held on the basis of what a different party might think or feel? That is legitimately how I and, indeed, my colleagues feel when we continue to face the challenges personally and through our constituents?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Her speech is very interesting. She asked us to clarify whether we support the UK's intention to move to closer realignment. Whilst there are vastly different opinions among the parties on that, the core concept for this party is the UK moving in lockstep to ensure that there is reduced friction for businesses in Northern Ireland and, indeed, consumer choice.”
“— oversight? Where specifically in the Budget can the general public see line-by-line scrutiny to ensure that we use public money in a way that is fitting, particularly at a time when cost-of-living pressures continue to apply?”
“I am sure that the thought of additional fiscal powers for this place has filled many of our constituents with a new year dread. <BR /> <BR />Minister, there is much talk about efficiency in the statement, but how can we expect the ratepayers to believe a word that comes out of the Department's mouth about financial management when continued Audit Office reports show chronic waste with no signs of getting better, such as the hundreds of millions lost to benefit fraud and the major capital projects delayed by planning and poor —”
“The Finance Minister will be aware that public confidence is low that this institution can spend public money wisely and therefore put aside the appropriate resource to develop the core services that all our constituents badly need. Will the Minister therefore assure the House that there will be line-by-line scrutiny of the Budget to ensure that, root and branch, we root out waste across Departments?”
“Apologies, Mr Speaker. I will ask one anyway.”
“Those are the types of organisations that have received Sinn Féin support for years, so it should surprise none of us that Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy and Chris Hazzard attended Maduro's inauguration. Sinn Féin cannot continue to ride two horses. The American public has well caught on to the types of far left extremists and global despot regimes that Sinn Féin supports. The $1,000 dinner plates in the United States will not be as easily filled this year or in years to come, as American citizens catch on very quickly to Sinn Féin's game. The Americans are no fools.”
“The UN has found credible evidence of crimes against humanity being used to keep Maduro in power. He was not a democratically elected president: he was using the cover of democratic office, but the election in which he saw office was discredited by all as having been won on false pretences. <BR /> <BR />Maduro was a narco-terrorist. He was propped up by Russia, China and Iran, and his regime has long-running overlaps with organised crime networks. Let us be clear: Maduro was Vladimir Putin's key asset in South America. In that context, the Western lefties and, indeed, Members in the Chamber who want to run to his rescue and cry foul at his extradition could not be further from reality. They have chosen to sign up with and stand alongside far left terrorists, including Hamas, ETA, FARC — the list could go on.”
“We should not kid ourselves for one moment that we understand the intricacies of the military operation that took place in Venezuela. We know only that it was a daring, courageous and well-executed military operation by our friends, neighbours and allies in the United States military. I often think of the military families in times such as these: what difficulties their partners and loved ones face, and what risks they take, in the name of national security. <BR /> <BR />What we do know is information about Nicolás Maduro and, indeed, his Administration. He was a dictator and a ruthless one at that. Under his regime, Venezuela has seen political prisoners, torture, extra-judicial killings, crushed protests, and the courts and media being overrun and captured by the regime.”
“The Justice Minister knows that the role of the Police Ombudsman and their conduct whilst in office is of huge public importance. The Minister has been asked over a dozen times in the Chamber about the position and credibility of the ombudsman, yet never did she notify us, even when a question for urgent oral answer previously identified the matter, that the ombudsman had ever tendered a resignation. Why did she deliberately withhold that information from the Assembly? Was it incompetence or cover-up?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Will he agree that what is really telling is that we have now had two Members from Alliance to speak and neither of them mentioned that?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member makes an interesting point. Does he agree that it was not the structures of the Executive that prevented adequate scrutiny and adequate legislation but the Coronavirus Act 2020, which those Members supported?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I appreciate that she apologised for her attendance at Bobby Storey's funeral; it is just a pity that other members of her party did not. <BR /> <BR />I am serious about the reform that we should all be serious about, which is the reform of public services. Does the Member agree that key institutional reforms, such as the removal of cross-community safeguards, will be achieved only if there is agreement across the House, rather than the agreement of one political party?”
“I say this to the Secretary of State: no unionist will support it.”
“I will, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I think there is a brave degree of rewriting and hypocrisy from some of the parties that are debating the motion. <BR /> <BR />Parties fundamentally disagreed on aspects of COVID. Do you know what? Rightly so, because they were huge decisions. However, understand this — I want to be clear — you will not use the COVID inquiry or the death of loved ones from all across Northern Ireland to take away safeguards that are crucial to the functioning of this place.”
“She failed to fundamentally scrutinise legislation that had a huge impact. The Alliance Members were lockdown fanatics. That caused huge harm in our schools. There are still record levels of truancy in our schools. The legislation caused record levels of anxiety in our communities, which craved leadership, and Alliance showed none. Alliance wants to come to the House today to try to rewrite its record during the COVID pandemic. Talk about accountability? It was the Alliance Party's leader, Naomi Long, who wiped her WhatsApp messages. Where was the accountability there? Perhaps take a mirror and look at your own face before throwing around accusations —.”
“— because she failed fundamentally to scrutinise —.”
“It is quite easy to understand why the Member is angry —”
“The Member is quite crass to talk about whether I have read the report. I sat on the Health Committee with her during the COVID pandemic. She did not even realise at the time that the Coronavirus Act 2020 enabled the Minister of Health to have vast, overreaching powers beyond the Assembly. She is trying to rewrite the past.”
“I only have a moment. Have I read the report? Yes.”
“On that point, I give way to a Member of the Alliance Party who can suggest an action of reform that would have delivered better results during the COVID pandemic.”
“To the SDLP's credit, Matthew O'Toole mentioned it. Ms Bradshaw could not even mention it. It shows how far to the left, and indeed into Sinn Féin's lap, Alliance has fallen.”
“I will in a minute, because the Member gave way to me. <BR /> <BR />When I look at that, I say that that is crass and is gaslighting the victims who suffered as a result of some the decisions taken by Members in the House. I will make this point, and then I will give way: it is very obvious to me that it is the Alliance Party that is so keen to talk up collapse, and it is quite obvious that there is a campaign. You are in a political vice. You are being squeezed from the left by the SDLP, which is putting you under pressure. There is a huge chasm between you and unionism because of the positions that you have adopted. Ms Bradshaw failed to mention in her opening speech that one of the most brass-necked, outlandish and despicable acts during the COVID pandemic in Northern Ireland was the mass attendance at the Bobby Storey funeral.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am disappointed in the Alliance Party today because it is not only low but crass to try to insinuate and link that to your desire for institutional reform, which you know rightly goes to the very heart of safeguards in the agreements, the Belfast Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement, that are crucial to this place functioning. We know that this is a divided society, and we know that it needs to have cross-community support on key issues.”
“I remember those things. I was present as an elected representative. I took views in the Assembly that were different from those of other Members, but they were all taken from a position of huge empathy and a huge degree of respect for those who had no voice. <BR /> <BR />That is why I look at the motion, and I look at Governments around the world that struggled with COVID. There was not one Government that did not struggle with the COVID pandemic. If we look at deaths per million around the world, we see that the UK does not even enter the top 10. That is not to say that the UK Government got everything right; they got many things wrong, as did the devolved Administrations. However, it is a fallacy to say that it is because of the institutions and the way in which they operate here that we so failed the people of Northern Ireland.”
“I suppose that I have mixed emotions about the debate. Primarily, my thoughts are with those who lost loved ones during COVID, those who continue to suffer the aftermath of long-term health effects, the children who missed out on schooling and, indeed, those who were bereaved. Those of us who were in the Chamber at the time can recount a very difficult time as an elected representative. I remember the elderly constituent who was impaled on the cemetery fence as he went to lay flowers at his wife's grave when the cemeteries were closed due to COVID restrictions. I remember the constituent who presented late at A&E and his throat cancer was so developed that it was missed. He died. I remember the businesses destroyed. I remember going to the window of a care home to visit a dear friend and watch him die from the window.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Can the Member outline why she believes that the Irish Government should be involved in institutional reform in Northern Ireland? Would that not be a breach of the current arrangements via the Belfast Agreement?”
“Our constituents ask us why taxes are going up, why we cannot help to support businesses by reducing VAT and other taxes and why we are not supporting and standing up for the working middle — alarm-clock United Kingdom — who get up in the morning and work two or three jobs but simply cannot afford to live. Why can we not do that? It is because we have an outdated benefits system that is being abused.”
“That is money that cannot be spent on core public services; the taxpayer has been cheated of that money. That must be addressed. Money that should be used to support our hospitals, our schools and our police is being taken directly from those core services in order to fund cheats. <BR /> <BR />In Northern Ireland, we have the additional pressure of an accommodation system for the likes of asylum seekers that has ballooned. Across the United Kingdom, the cost is projected to balloon from £4·5 billion to £15·3 billion over a decade. That is more than triple the initial estimate.”
“The Chancellor's autumn Budget made one thing unmistakably clear: taxes are being driven to record highs, not to invest in growth or to strengthen our public services but to prop up an outdated, unsustainable and inflated welfare system. <BR /> <BR />Total spending on social security and welfare in the United Kingdom has gone from £152 billion in 2005 to £326 billion in 2025. The Office for Budget Responsibility predicts that that will rise to £406 billion by 2030. Yes, Members, we value those who cannot fend for themselves and who, due to health needs or injury, need support; we are a generous nation, but the system is open to corruption and abuse. In Northern Ireland alone, benefit fraud is estimated to cost as much as £350 million per year. That is a national shame.”
“To begin with, I join Members in offering my colleague William Irwin every best wish for his retirement alongside his family. He truly is the authentic friend of the farmer. He spoke with such conviction and passion in representing those people across Northern Ireland, probably long before it was popular to do so in the House. He certainly will be missed in this place, and I wish him well for his retirement. <BR /> <BR />Our Executive are meeting, next door, to grapple with the huge budgetary pressures that face core Departments such as Education and Health. I will offer not only an observation but a clear warning: the benefits system is killing the United Kingdom. Its stranglehold is getting tighter year-on-year.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. In the first part of his contribution, he told us that this is not about constitutional change. He then went on to talk a lot about constitutional change. Which is it? Is the motion, tabled by Sinn Féin, a tool for constitutional change?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He talks about issues that are more important. At the moment, a cliff edge for veterinary and pet medicines is impending because of the obstinacy of the European Union. Should we not be talking about that issue today, rather than fantasy school politics?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Would he suggest that his party's position of rigorous implementation of the protocol was in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland?”
“Absolutely. I will, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. <BR /> <BR />It is rich from the SDLP. We have seen again and again the nationalist front of the Alliance Party, propped up by the SDLP and Sinn Féin —”
“I want to see the issues resolved. I want to see the democratic deficit reduced. The way to do it is through votes in this place. Mr O'Toole had no care or concern when over 300 areas of law went through. He spoke for a pitiful 10 minutes on 300 areas of law, yet he wants to throw his toys out of the pram because Sinn Féin stole his motion today. Utter hypocrisy. Businesses know exactly that Mr O'Toole is all about sound bites. He is all about trying to throw around his EU credentials. Mr O'Toole was at the heart of the Downing Street team when these things were being talked about. He has been very quiet about his time there. I mean —.”
“It is happening again. <BR /> <BR />It was therefore right to table the petition of concern, which will stop the vote, and I pay tribute to the UUP Members and the TUV Member who signed the petition, because it is important that we ensure that those institutions that are foreign to this one understand that there is no democratic legitimacy to the arrangements that they have put in place. There is no support from one single elected unionist in this place, so it is entirely legitimate for us to use such a mechanism, and we will ensure that the voice of unionism is represented.”
“We import £7 billion from the EU, yet we are hammered with bureaucracy because of the arrangements that those parties have tried to impose on the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Observer-status MEPs have no right to vote. They therefore have no right to influence the vote. You are so keen to talk about the issue, yet when 300 areas of law came before the Assembly, resulting in six hours of debate, the vast majority of you did not even speak. You come here, however, to howl in the wind about observer-status MEPs. It is utter hypocrisy. <BR /> <BR />The DUP tabled the petition of concern for very legitimate reasons. There is a serious attempt, via the motion, to misrepresent the views of the House, just as they were misrepresented by the EU when cross-community voting in this place was discarded to serve its agenda.”
“The Member makes a valid point, because, and let us get real, the motion is about misrepresenting views in Northern Ireland. Yes, some constituencies in Northern Ireland voted to remain, but some voted to leave. That was part of the democratic vote. For people to try to rewrite the outcome of the vote here time and time again further undermines trust in these institutions and, indeed, in democracy right across the United Kingdom. <BR /> <BR />I have not heard one single time when Members on the Benches opposite have been prepared to acknowledge the huge hurt that the Windsor framework and other agreements have caused to our businesses. We import some £16 billion worth of goods from GB. Full customs codes are applied, courtesy of the Alliance Party, the SDLP and Sinn Féin.”
“Observer status is something that comes quite naturally to its MPs. In fact, observer-status MEPs would have more legitimacy than its current MPs at Westminster.”
“Unionists did not support such a motion when he brought one to the House, and they will not support Sinn Féin's motion today. That goes to the very heart of why a petition of concern was tabled today. <BR /> <BR />We want to talk about democratic deficits. That term was alien to those on the Benches opposite from the very genesis of the Brexit negotiations. They did not want to admit that a problem existed. They wanted hard and radical forms of protocols that would damage our businesses and destroy industry. Rigorous implementation has been mentioned. That is the approach that they adopted time and time again, but the white rabbit has now been pulled out of the hat: having observer-status MEPs will sort it all out. Sinn Féin is rather used to being an observer when it comes to parliamentary debate.”
“Today's motion is but yet another attempt to rewrite the Brexit referendum. It is as if Christmas has come early for the European Union. The motion is a present that is wrapped in sparkling Sinn Féin wrapping paper, because it is viewed through the lens of a united Ireland and through the lens of majoritarianism. <BR /> <BR />It will come as no surprise that the Alliance Party is falling in behind that type of proposal. The party has been on record as doing just that in many votes in the Assembly. The approach of the leader of the Opposition, Mr O'Toole, is reminiscent of that of the spoilt, crying toddler on Christmas evening who has lost his Christmas present to a cousin. He has moaned and groaned during the debate so far because other people have the same opinion as him, but — guess what? — no unionist will support the motion today.”
“It is none other than the chief defender of woke causes in Northern Ireland — the Equality Commission — that is taking the case. It is attempting to claim that the Windsor framework's article 2 rights have supremacy over our Supreme Court's ruling. Guess who is paying, Members? The taxpayer. <BR /> <BR />Make no mistake: this has come about as a result of weak, far-left lily-livered politicians in this place from parties such as Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party, who cannot state basic facts such as that a man is a man and a woman is a woman. It will have consequences. The voters are no fools. They understand what is means to be a man and a woman, and it is high time that Members in the Chamber caught on too.”
“They know, despite First Minister Michelle O'Neill not knowing, that men should never be able to enter female toilets, that men should never be allowed to compete in women-only sports and that men self-identifying as women should never be able to compromise the privacy rights of biological females. <BR /> <BR />We thought that, finally, balance was being restored, only to find out in the past week that that common-sense ruling is being challenged by those with ulterior motives. In order to undermine that historic ruling, the argument is that a biological man can somehow magically become a female while on a ferry from Stranraer to Larne. It is literally ridiculous. I have heard of seasickness, but promoting such a narrative really is sick indeed.”
“On 16 April 2025, For Women Scotland secured a landmark victory for common sense and for women across the United Kingdom. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the word "woman" in the Equality Act 2010 refers to biological sex and does not include men who self-identify as women. It concluded that basic terms such as "man" and "woman" are defined by biological sex, not by someone's preferred gender. That has meant a great deal to women in protecting their personal space, their sport and their safety. It is not hard, Mr Speaker. It has never been hard for the vast majority of our common-sense constituents.”
“My colleague Mr Martin mentioned how we are going down the road towards an incredibly difficult position on veterinary medicines, and that will affect not just farmers but owners of domestic pets. Over 40% of pet medicines in Northern Ireland could be discontinued by January. The UK Government and Europe's burying their heads in the sand tells me that there is little genuine interest in dealing with the issues affecting Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />This House is the best place in which to determine those laws. I ask Members to reconsider their opposition to the motion and ensure that we can have a democratic input into the laws that affect this place.”
“At the point of sale, the end destination is known, so why not change the rule so that goods are deemed not to be at risk? By doing so, we would save our businesses from vast swathes of paperwork that is destroying them economically. The motion mentions bureaucracy: 300 pages of paperwork per lorry is simply ridiculous and will only increase as time goes on, unless Members are prepared to open their eyes to the challenges and stand up to the European Union. <BR /> <BR />I would love to know why Members are so compelled to believe that the European Union has Northern Ireland businesses' interests at heart more than the democratically elected Members of this House. I do not see it. I just hope that Members understand that.”