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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“What the Minister is outlining is trade divergence rather than potential. The Minister has talked about "privileged, dual market access": we are now six years on from hearing of the unicorn of dual market access from the Minister and her party. Will she give one concrete example of FDI in Northern Ireland that is due to dual market access?”
“That figure did not take into account the vast number of defects that went unreported or disappeared off the system day in, day out. It is not acceptable for DFI Roads to be told that we could be facing increases in road deaths only to be met, again, with silence. I call for a targeted plan that allows us all to ensure adequate road safety. What is the point of drivers paying road tax for their vehicles only to be met with roads that are substandard and, in fact, in many cases, third-world standard? I call on the Infrastructure Minister, along with her Executive colleagues, to ensure that we can make our roads fit for purpose.”
“Potholes are left gaping wide, sometimes for months on end. Roads are unpassable. Cars are diverting around potholes into the flow of other vehicles. The dangers are unending. Like many representatives in this place, I imagine, I have reported them many times and been told that they would be fixed, only to be met with the statutory response, "We will get to it when the budget allows". <BR /> <BR />I call on this place to be sensible with any additional funding that it receives from the spending review. We must get the basics right. In 2023-24, the system noted that there were 103,746 surface defects on our roads. That was only scratching the surface: those were only the faults that Members and others outside the Chamber reported.”
“In politics come priorities, and, in light of tomorrow's comprehensive spending review announcement, many examples of priorities have been cited in this place. We can all smell the burning rubber as the Chancellor makes a handbrake turn on many of the taxes that she imposed on the people of the United Kingdom last year. Who would have thought that punishing pensioners, farmers and small businesses would be so unpopular? The Chancellor, however, has to live in the real world. <BR /> <BR />I was once taught that, in anything in life, you must get the basics right. It is one of those basics that I want to talk about today: the condition of our roads. I do not believe that, in my time as an elected representative, I have ever been more concerned about the condition of our roads across Northern Ireland.”
“Deputy First Minister, you are aware of the huge concern across the United Kingdom in particular with regard to illegal immigration, given the strain on social services, housing and hospitals. Were you reassured by the Government's response in their conversations about the White Paper that those issues will be adequately targeted?”
“In 2021, at the age of 97, inspired by the walk during COVID of Sir Tom Moore, Hilbert took to the pitch, doing 100 laps and raising £27,000 for Loughgall Football Club. It was remarkable for the man that he was. <BR /> <BR />We have lost a legend. A family is in mourning. To the Willis family, I send our deepest sympathies. Hilbert's life was well and truly lived. It is true when they say, "There was only one Hilbert Willis". Such was his contribution to the local community that a stand was named in his honour at Loughgall Football Club. He was a much-loved servant of that team and, indeed, many other organisations in the Loughgall community.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. As a Member for Upper Bann, I mark the passing of an incredible and remarkable man: Hilbert Willis. Hilbert was 101 years old. A football fanatic and loyal-to-the-core supporter of Loughgall Football Club, his life was one that was well and truly lived. He described himself as an "all-round farmer". <BR /> <BR />Hilbert was born on 11 February 1924, and his life spanned an extraordinary period. Such was his character that he engaged with his community, rolled up his sleeves and continued to work as a volunteer at Loughgall Football Club. Right up to his death, he was seen at the club supporting the team in all its endeavours. <BR /> <BR />For 30 years, he served as groundsman and then as club chairman, among a host of other voluntary roles.”
“First Minister, with tens of millions of pounds of projected overspend on the original cost of the redevelopment of Casement Park and with public infrastructure and public services under serious financial strain, which public services would you cut to ensure Casement Park's redevelopment on the scale that the GAA suggests? Hospitals, schools or education?”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Would it be appropriate for me to receive the exact words that Mr Blair found so offensive? I have not one clue about what on earth he has just said.”
“This watery two-page statement says to me that there continues to be zero self-awareness from the Minister about the huge pressure and strain facing agriculture in Northern Ireland. When he was discussing environmental work schemes, was there any consideration of the thousands of jobs that are at risk from his environmental extremism?”
“Farmers face slashing their herd size or halving the land that they cannot afford because they are already being squeezed out by high prices. Requiring low-emission slurry equipment by 2030 sounds green, but it is a financial noose, which will cost farming families thousands —”
“Members across the Assembly, is it not now time that we called time on the Minister's environmental extremism? He is a man who appears to be fixated on finishing our rural way of life. Does the Alliance Party think for one moment that it is in any way bluffing farmers with its warm words and pictures of wellington boots at the Balmoral show and on departmental Twitter feeds? They are long used to the smell of manure that comes from the Minister's media commentary. They know that the Minister would not know the difference between salad and silage and that it is time he left the field before he ruins the entire crop. <BR /> <BR />The NAP demands are a death sentence for many farmers. A phosphorous limit of 10kg per hectare is not a regulation; it is a guillotine.”
“Where is the scrutiny of Northern Ireland Water's leaking water systems? Why are farmers the scapegoats whilst others dodge responsibility, Minister? It is a targeted attack, plain and simple.”
“Our 48,000 farm workers feed the nation, manage 75% of the land and pour their blood, sweat and tears into keeping our rural communities alive, yet Minister Muir's NAP treats them like villains, blaming them for 62% of phosphorus pollution on the basis of shaky computer models, not hard evidence.”
“I thought that some Members had come to their senses in understanding the plight that faces family farms, yet months after the hammer blow of Starmer's farm death tax, we again stand at a crossroads, facing yet another assault on our farmers, our rural communities and the very way of life that has sustained this land for generations. <BR /> <BR />The nutrients action programme (NAP) from the Alliance Party's Minister, Andrew Muir, is not just a set of rules; it is a battering ram that is aimed at the heart of our agricultural heritage. Let us be clear: farming is not just a job; it is an essential service.”
“I thank the Member for addressing the issue of genuine illegal immigration. Does he agree that it is worrying that, just last month, one of five Iranian refugees who crossed the English Channel was arrested for a terrorist plot in the United Kingdom?”
“It is UK Government money. It is taxpayer money that could go to GP services, emergency departments, schools, roads or infrastructure. Yet he does not want to focus on that.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he not accept that a difficult Budget was passed yesterday, but the motion talks of £400 million that is being spent —?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Whilst I note his considerable concern surrounding the protocol and issues relating to immigration policy, does he accept that the UK Government's policy is no template for anybody to follow, with its record levels of illegal and legal immigration?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that, since Labour took office, somewhere in the region of 30,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats? That is a concern to everybody in Northern Ireland, not just unionists or nationalists but everyone.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. There has been much mention of the starving of public services and how fault for that lies at our door, but there has been no mention of the fact that, in 2024, £2·8 billion was spent on illegal immigration and asylum seekers' support in the UK. That money could be spent on 70,000 nursing places. Is that not, perhaps, where the money should be spent, rather than its being dished out on asylum and support for illegal immigrants?”
“Should we continue to let public services collapse under the demand and expect taxpayers to foot the bill of spiralling costs beyond all expectations? This is not about scapegoating. It is about sensible, sustainable government, and it is time that we restored balance and gave our communities the representation that they truly need and are calling for.”
“— with limited powers — not at this stage — and outdated strategic planning policies simply do not reflect the scale of the problem that they represent. That is why the motion calls for the Infrastructure Minister to urgently review and amend that policy. Local authorities need to be equipped with planning policies that enable them to best meet the demands of their community. When illegal immigration is allowed to flourish and go unchallenged, it becomes harder, not easier, to make the case for those who truly need help. <BR /> <BR />To those who oppose the motion, I ask this: what is your alternative? Are you going to continue to ignore the warning signs? Are you going to continue to let communities become unrecognisable?”
“That is what is happening, and if Members were to take a moment to consult with their communities, they would see that. You could not make it up. <BR /> <BR />In just one street in my home town of Portadown, there are 24 HMOs. Just think about their impact on local residents and local communities. Councils —”
“Those who are most affected are often the working-class communities, which have been forgotten by certain decision makers. <BR /> <BR />As we all know, housing is at breaking point. There is now a dangerous and growing link between illegal immigration and the increased demand for temporary and overcrowded housing. We see a proliferation of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) across towns and cities in Northern Ireland. Those properties, which are often poorly regulated and insufficiently inspected, are rapidly altering the character of our communities, and the situation will only get worse. Beneath Keir Starmer's plan to stop the migrant hotels is a plan to incentivise certain landlords with five-year guaranteed rental deals at an increased rate from that of our own civilian population.”
“Across Northern Ireland, GP practices are overwhelmed; access to dental services is non-existent; parents struggle to find school places for their children; and small businesses are taxed to death to pay for a hopeless, regrettable, failed open border policy. We must ask ourselves this: why must we be expected to bear a burden that we were neither prepared for nor consulted on? Are parties such as Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Féin really going to continue to bury their heads in the sand and pretend that it is not a problem? It is intellectually dishonest to pretend that those pressures have no link to a broken immigration system. When accommodation is oversubscribed and new arrivals are settled in communities without proper consultation, planning or resources, it creates strain.”
“According to the National Audit Office, the estimated cost of accommodating illegal immigrants in Northern Ireland has soared to £400 million, which is four times the original estimate. That is fiscal irresponsibility of epic proportions. Every pound that is overspent is a pound that does not go to our overstretched health trusts, GPs, services, crumbling infrastructure and underfunded schools. Members, that is not sustainable. The figure is no different across the UK in its entirety. The current figures estimate that the total spend by the Home Office over the past 10 years in the UK has been £15·3 billion of public money. <BR /> <BR />Let us speak plainly about the pressures on public services.”
“To the unionist who feels let down by consecutive UK Governments: I hear you. To the nationalist or republican who feels that they are not being listened to by the parties for which they voted: I hear you. You have been failed by nationalist and republican politicians, of whom we must ask the question of where their loyalty lies if it is not with the working-class communities across this country, which feel the disproportionate burden of failed immigration policy. We can see just how out of touch parties such as Sinn Féin are. It is telling that we see such a small number of its members come to the Chamber to debate immigration, yet they filled it to talk about returning artefacts to museums. How embarrassing. Sinn Féin's policy of "Brits out, and everyone else in" is fooling absolutely nobody. <BR /> <BR />Let us talk about the costs.”
“I will, if I have time. <BR /> <BR />First, we must note the context. The Prime Minister laid out plans to reduce legal immigration, yet, day by day, we still see and grapple with the realities that illegal immigration, enabled by consecutive weak Governments, continues to wreak on our communities. Conservative and, indeed, Labour Governments have failed to introduce a UK-wide enforcement strategy that is robust and fair. Day in, day out, our constituents — your constituents — see the consequences of those policy failures in our housing, our health service and our schools. <BR /> <BR />A nation without borders is not a nation at all. Borders should never be chalk lines that fade with political lunacy; rather, they should be a source of security and certainty for a nation's citizens.”
“He may not believe his words, but I can assure the House that Members on these Benches certainly do. The motion is about a growing and deeply concerning failure to address illegal and uncontrolled immigration and its direct impact on the people of Northern Ireland.”
“I will towards the end. <BR /> <BR />That is what is at stake. Those are the people whom we represent, and the motion is about standing up for them. The motion is not borne out of ideology or sensationalism; it is firmly rooted in practical realities that our communities face every day. It is about protecting our public services, preserving community cohesion and ensuring that our infrastructure is not stretched far beyond its limits. Whilst many of us doubt his sincerity, the Prime Minister said:”
“I speak for the teacher in north Belfast who tells me that she is teaching children in classes of 30 or more, trying to offer every child the attention that they deserve but feeling deflated by a system that is stretched well beyond its limits. I speak for the foreign national who came to these shores many years ago, worked hard, paid taxes and respected our culture and way of life, only to watch on in horror as hordes of young men descend on Britain's shores in rubber boats and into the open arms of a state benefit system that is paid for on the back of those people's hard work.”
“Today, we debate an issue of our time: uncontrolled and illegal immigration. I moved the motion not just as a DUP representative but as a voice for the many people across our country who feel forgotten, overwhelmed and unheard. The statistics are stark, with close on one million people a year entering the UK. That does not even take into account the number who arrive illegally and un-vetted. I speak for the mother in Newtownards who rang her GP surgery over 100 times, hoping that her sick child could be seen, only to be told that the surgery is at capacity. I speak for the pensioner in Portadown who has been waiting on the housing list for three years and has watched as emergency accommodation has sprung up overnight just down the road.”
“It is interesting to hear that the Minister got a round of applause from farmers in Oxford, because he is certainly not getting one in Northern Ireland, where farmers continue to feel the full force of his environmental extremism. Given the Minister's desire to break down barriers after the years that were spent putting them up, will he join me in calling for the dismantling of needless and harmful UK-EU border checks at Northern Ireland ports? Furthermore, will he confirm that today's agreement will enable livestock traders and pedigree breeders in Northern Ireland to bring their livestock to GB, sell it and take home, free from impediment, those that are not sold?”
“Does the Minister agree that the UK Government and the Irish Government need to distance themselves fully from the funding of state sponsorship of racism, antisemitism and sectarianism in view of Kneecap? Some Members in the House have suggested that it is mad to complain about such comments from Kneecap: does the Minister further agree that that is quite irresponsible, to say the least?”
“— and we will hold them to account to ensure that they do just that.”
“That is four times the original indication, which is ridiculous, yet you are happy to splash out on those policies. You come to the House calling for more money for public services when you support policies that are bleeding public services dry. It is time that you woke up. I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister seems to be, essentially, accepting his party's failure in office and that of the Conservatives —”
“I see the shaking of heads from Sinn Féin. Be under no illusion: you are completely out of step with many people in the nationalist community who face severe pressures in accessing public services. They cannot get access to their GPs or EDs. They are put to the back of the queue while interpreters come to our hospitals. That is a result of your reckless policies on border security. If we look at school places, we see that many of our constituents have been denied access to local schools. Why? It is because they have been put at the back of the queue. It is a grave issue that has to be addressed. <BR /> <BR />Yesterday, the National Audit Office reported that £400 million has been spent on housing illegal asylum seekers in Northern Ireland.”
“If you go to some of our working-class unionist or nationalist towns throughout Northern Ireland or, indeed, those that do not prescribe to being either, you will see communities that have been destroyed by the havoc of illegal immigration and quotas that have vastly outpaced the services that they represent.”
“My goodness, what a hefty defeat in an election can bring forward: the Prime Minister is finally waking up and smelling the coffee. In many communities, it is already like that.”
“Finally, the penny has dropped. The issue of uncontrolled and illegal immigration has been a priority for the people of Northern Ireland and those across the United Kingdom for years, but it fell on deaf ears in parties such as Alliance, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, and there was silence from the UK Government, whether Conservative or Labour. Their inaction has caused catastrophic damage to the social fabric of the communities that we represent. How much longer were we expected to stand by in silence? How much longer would our communities be ignored and their concerns dismissed? How much longer would our borders be treated as optional guidelines rather than sovereign lines? <BR /> <BR />Just yesterday, Keir Starmer said:”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree with me that it is regrettable that not once during the contributions from Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Féin did we hear recognition of the huge hurt, anxiety and concern that many women in today's society face because biological men can enter their personal spaces?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. He talks about the denigration and mocking of positions. Some Members have said that the DUP's record is anti-women. That is obviously a reference to the proud pro-life position that we take, alongside many in our community. Will the Minister accept that many of those unborn children have been unborn girls?”
“It is ludicrous: the Member wants to gaslight Members across these Benches, yet his sectarian actions are laid bare for all to see. Perhaps it is time that he came to the Chamber and faced up to the reality, rather than hiding away and scurrying about in corridors so that Sinn Féin Members can take their seats as British members of this state and, indeed, the Crown.”
“The Member is fooling nobody. The slur that he attempted to place on the community in Lisburn is nothing short of disgraceful, but it lays bare the crass sectarian acts that he has engaged in time and again. How quick has the Sinn Féin West Belfast Member been to condemn the actions of Kneecap: the chants of "Kill your MP"? There has been no comment from Mr Baker in that regard. That may not be surprising; maybe it was a tad embarrassing, because it was Sinn Féin's policy for many years to target and kill MPs in this country. We take no lectures from the party opposite when it comes to standing up and speaking out for victims of terrorism across the community. <BR /> <BR />Mr Baker was not finished. At the weekend he attended an event, smiling next to a memorial to Bobby Sands, a man who planned the bombing of Balmoral Furniture Company.”
“It appears that he is doing just that. <BR /> <BR />Just this weekend, that man — Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker — was among a crowd that wreaked havoc in south Belfast. What did we see there? We saw rioting; a police car's window being smashed; chants of, "Orange bastards"; IRA chants and songs; the targeting of a Polish war memorial; the ripping apart of poppy wreaths that had been laid by the Polish community; and an IRA flag. What else? We saw Danny Baker promoting the illegal use of flares at football games, yet that Member saw fit to deflect from that and try to target a parade in Lisburn that was attended by thousands of people and at which Lisburn Apprentice Boys put on a fantastic display.”
“Sinn Féin's Danny Baker attempted to have an item listed in today's Order Paper to condemn my attendance at an Apprentice Boys parade in Lisburn. It fooled nobody. The business is not in the Order Paper. I note, however, that the Sinn Féin MLA who was so keen to discuss that matter, Mr Baker, has not shown up in the Chamber. Perhaps he is away somewhere polishing his brass neck. My colleague Mr Givan once said that that Member should:”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. Just for clarity for Hansard, I believe that the Minister indicated that I was leaving the Chamber. I would like it to be noted that I left for a glass of water and returned.”
“Where is your care and compassion? It does not exist.”
“I am glad that the Minister is in the form to clear the air. The Minister, her Department and her party seem to also have conflicting views on common sense where the Supreme Court judgement that ruled on women and biological sex is concerned. Therefore, on policing practice, does the Minister agree that biological men should not be allowed to strip-search females? Yes or no, or should we wait for one of your would-be leaders to tell us what you really think?”