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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“Minister, this was a worrying report. A particular worry for me was that it revealed significant gaps in the PSNI child internet protection team, contributing to ineffectiveness in investigating child sexual abuse offences and managing dangerous offenders and predators. It is an alarming statistic given the 98% increase in child online protection threats in the past five years. What urgent action can we take to address that? I agree with the previous contributor that it will not be good enough just to place it under the banner of "Police: budget issues". We really have to protect the vulnerable.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he accept that the main issue with the current Labour Government for many Members on these Benches and others is the deceitful way in which they came to power? They did not tell us that they were going to tax business, tax the farmer and rob the pensioner in the way in which they have. They lied. They were deceitful. That is the issue.”
“Thank you. Will the Member point to at least one successful economy in the world that adopts his socialist/communist outlook on economics?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that it is interesting that Mr Honeyford has perhaps clarified what "tax the rich" means? He went to ultra-rich. His party did not define that when it initially talked about it. Does that mean further taxation on a higher tax bracket of 40%?”
“Does the Member also agree that Sinn Féin is happy to be partitionist when it suits its agenda? It is happy to see corporation tax lowered in the Republic of Ireland but drags its feet in Northern Ireland.”
“Yes: a private contractor working with the Home Office is offering landlords in England five years' guaranteed rent, paid for by the taxpayer, to house asylum seekers in some of those very same HMOs. Is it not rather shameful that a practice that we already know has been happening in Northern Ireland continues to go unchecked? We are witnessing record numbers of illegal immigrants entering the United Kingdom. The Government's failure to control our borders is leading directly to the displacement of local people. We must not stay silent. To anyone who says that it cannot be sorted, I say this: in the first 100 days of Donald Trump's presidency, border crossings in the United States have gone down by 95%. The policy is simple: come illegally, leave immediately.”
“The reality, which is something that very few will say out loud, is that we are witnessing the unravelling of local communities as family homes are turned overnight into overcrowded bedsits. We cannot continue to ignore the problem or bury our head in the sand. <BR /> <BR />On Saturday, just the day after I revealed those statistics, the front page headline in 'The Daily Telegraph' read:”
“An issue that is affecting many of our towns and communities across Northern Ireland is the ever-increasing number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and the urgent need for tougher, smarter regulations from councils, which are tasked with dealing with applications for such houses. <BR /> <BR />On Friday afternoon, I shared the figures on the licensed HMOs that are in my constituency. In my home town of Portadown, there are 38 licensed HMOs, with 14 on one street. Let us just think for a moment what that means for those who have lived there for years. We must ask, "What sort of impact will that have on those people?". We see the erosion of community identity, the character of the area changed forever, increased noise and disturbance, pressure on public infrastructure, falling property values — and that is just scratching the surface.”
“Whilst there are elements of the Minister's statement that will be universally welcomed, she will know that there is huge concern among business stakeholders about the consequences of the proposed Bill. Given that concern and given the need for key business engagement at this difficult time, does the Minister share any concern that this botched Bill could potentially lead to job losses rather than good jobs?”
“At a recent Question Time, I asked the First Minister, when it comes to safeguarding women and young girls, whether she agreed with me and the vast majority of women, who believe that biological men should not be in women's safe spaces, particularly women's changing rooms. The First Minister did not answer me. In light of the Supreme Court ruling that, in terms of sex and gender, it is biological sex that defines a woman, I ask the First Minister this: will you still not answer the question? Is it yes, or is it no? What is your view on the Supreme Court ruling?”
“It is certainly not cruelty to recognise accuracy.”
“Is that your vision of progressive politics? <BR /> <BR />The fight for justice by ordinary, everyday women was not fictional. It was rooted in the lived experiences of women who demanded to be seen, heard and safeguarded. Members, let this be a turning point: a moment when the nation reaffirms its commitment to truth, clarity and common sense. It is not bigotry to recognise difference.”
“Women who dared to speak out about their concerns were branded bigots, hounded out of their jobs and silenced in the public discourse. For years, women have fought for legal protections based on the material reality of their sex, only to be insulted in the House by Members in complete denial of reality. <BR /> <BR />Recently, I asked the First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, whether she agreed that biological men should not be in women's safe spaces, in particular, women's changing rooms and women's sport. She could not answer. The Alliance Party offered full-throated support, and together they degrade women, and what for? To promote a warped and dangerous ideology that allowed men to invade women's changing rooms and to steal women's sports titles and that pushed the NHS to prescribe dangerous gender drugs to vulnerable young girls.”
“On 16 April, the UK Supreme Court made a unanimous landmark ruling that, under the Equality Act 2010, the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. It represented a moment of truth, clarity and common sense. How ridiculous have things become that it took the UK Supreme Court to rule on the definition of a woman, something that the vast majority of people already knew the answer to? It is sad but true to say that common sense on gender realities had been kidnapped and then hijacked by a small yet extreme ideological minority, aided and abetted by parties such as Alliance, Sinn Féin and the SDLP, which pressurised businesses, civil Administrations and the wider public into accepting a version of reality — their version — that denied all common sense.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I note that the thrust of the debate is to discuss employers' National Insurance contributions, which are a Westminster form of taxation. Although I agree with him that there are cases in which the moneys should be targeted at their intended purpose, does he not agree that it is important for our local Executive to be agile, provided that money is not wasted on services in, for example, the health service, which may experience pressures from time to time, given the particular situation?”
“— that I agree, and I look forward to hearing the Minister's response.”
“We must trust businesses. We need a spirit of entrepreneurship in this country that encourages people to get into business and employ people. If we do not and we continue in this vein, we are essentially stifling our economy, creating stagnation and leaving our constituents vulnerable to the high winds of the open sea. <BR /> <BR />I say to Members —”
“<BR /> <BR />We must understand that, if the Government's expectation is that, by increasing those levels of taxation, they will, in some way, generate additional revenue, they are wrong. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already poured cold water on the Government's suggestions of the revenue that the increases in employers' National Insurance contributions will generate. It is clear that the anti-growth strategy employed by Labour and by the Tories before that will not break the vicious cycle. We must cut regulation, target specific industries for growth, reform our planning system and cut tax in order to grow.”
“How can businesses pay for the increase? The money tree has been shaken so hard that they can only pass the cost on to the consumer. <BR /> <BR />Businesses are against the wall. When it comes to taxation, they face a situation that is peculiar to Northern Ireland. Corporation tax is 25% in the United Kingdom, compared with 12·5% in the Republic of Ireland. VAT on hospitality is 20% in the United Kingdom, compared with 9% in the Republic. People will say that I am making a pretty good case for unification, but I will tell you this: if members of Sinn Féin had articulated those low-tax policies in the Assembly, perhaps we would be in a better place today. They are happy with this quagmire, however, because it suits their position.”
“<BR /> <BR />The strategies that we have seen are anti-growth and go against what Labour argued for. Reduced investment, job losses and price increases limit hiring. My colleague Paul Frew is absolutely right: a rise in the living wage or the minimum wage is not much good, if you do not have a job at the end of the week. We have to get real. At the Committee recently, we heard from the manufacturing sector and, in particular, from Denroy Plastics, which talked about hundreds of thousands of pounds to foot the bill for the employers' National Insurance contributions. I asked, "How do you pay for it?". "We have to make efficiencies", was the answer. That means looking at automation, which reduces the workforce and the number of jobs in the community. The company does not want to do that, but it is being forced down the inevitable route.”
“We got live, real-time data on how hospitality, retail, manufacturing, the voluntary sector and public services are being affected. We heard on the radio and TV this morning about how our GPs and pharmacies would be affected. <BR /> <BR />I will focus on business. Regarding the increase in contributions from 13·8% to 15%, we have to remember that Northern Ireland is an industry of small-business owners. Their margins are tight, and they struggle to absorb the costs, so what do they do? They have to pass the costs on. Inflation takes money out of the pockets of all our constituents. It increases prices on the shelves and reduces the take-home pay of parents who are working hard to feed their families. Businesses are taxed to death. You cannot keep shaking the money tree of a small business and expect a return.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. As always, he is filled with contradictions. He is the very Member who would have us tied to the European Union and at risk of retaliatory tariffs, so he is in no place to lecture about regulation. The Member is in no place to lecture about taxation. He is a wealth denier and a job denier, so I take no lectures from the Member for Upper Bann. <BR /> <BR />Let us go on, because the point is clear, and Mr Tennyson set it out. If you follow the Alliance Party's approach and, indeed, that of the Labour Party, what do you do? If you target wealth creators, what do you expect to happen in the economy? I welcome the approach of the Committee for Finance and the Committee for the Economy to the matter. Listening to the round-table discussion was an extremely interesting and useful exercise for members.”
“Does anybody remember that, a year ago, the Labour Party was on the cusp of power? It has already been mentioned: what was the Labour Party's mantra? It was, "Growth, growth, growth". The Labour Party manifesto set out "five missions to rebuild Britain". Number 1 was "Kickstart economic growth". What has it delivered except downgraded forecasts for growth figures, stagnation and the economy on an edge? They spoke honey before the feast and vinegar after the plates were cleared.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that it stands in stark contrast to what Labour was promising before the election?”
“Minister, although the Regional Trauma Network has played an important role in supporting victims and survivors of the Troubles, are the network's current capacity and resources adequate to meet the needs of those who are affected, especially in light of the complex and long-term nature of the traumas that those victims experienced during Northern Ireland's Troubles?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I do not know whether our microphones are working just yet. Oh, they are now.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. We hear Members talk about the protection of Northern Ireland agriculture. They say that, if we do not comply with targets or meet the vast swathes of regulations on climate change, we will, in some way, be at a loss. However, a number of years ago, China was building two new coal plants each week. <BR /> <BR />How does the Member think that a Climate Commissioner specifically for Northern Ireland will benefit the Northern Ireland public?”
“Every child deserves a start in life, regardless of their parent's income bracket or employment status. Preschool education is not a luxury but a foundation. Access to such a thing should be equitable across the board. We call for a more inclusive approach that does not overlook the struggles and contributions of working families. Members, we should endeavour to have a system that values fairness and ensures that no family is left behind simply because they are doing their best to stay afloat.”
“In the past week, I have spoken to working families who have been denied a preschool place even though they have multiple children already at their preferred school. I have spoken to working families who have been allocated a space in, sometimes, their eighth or ninth school of choice, which is often far from their home and past a number of preferred schools along the way. It is beyond ridiculous. Those families contribute to society, pay taxes and do their best to provide for their children, often juggling work, rising living costs and childcare, yet, when it comes to securing a preschool place, they find themselves at the back of the queue. That is not just disappointing; it is unfair. <BR /> <BR />The system should not pit one family's needs against another's. It should be about balance.”
“However, we must also recognise that many hard-pressed working families are being penalised because they do not meet the current criteria. Parents are penalised for going the extra mile and for working every hour of the day to provide a living for their family, with little left at the end of the month to show for it.”
“I stand today to give voice to the growing frustration and disappointment felt by many hard-working families in our community. Those families are being denied preschool places for their children not because they applied too late or did not meet the requirements but because of a system that prioritises certain circumstances over others. The dated and discriminatory legislation, which has been in place since 1999, instructs preschool education providers to prioritise some kids over others, placing labels and assumptions on kids before they have even had a chance to start their education journey. <BR /> <BR />Let me be clear: supporting vulnerable families and ensuring that every child has access to early education is vital.”
“Further to my colleague Joanne Bunting's remarks, Alex, you will definitely be missed. As somebody who has lambed a few sheep, I can say that it is a rewarding and valuable profession. <BR /> <BR />Mr Speaker, Alex has been of assistance to you in the Chair, and it would be remiss if we were not to also mention a lady who has been vital to so many of us. I think of Kristine Gillespie in the Assembly library. Kristine is also retiring, having given 24 years' service to the library. She has been a valuable source of information for so many of us, taking on board our many issues and complaints — Members are not easy to deal with, at times. I put that on record. I thank them both for their service.”
“Again, I thank the Member for giving way. As someone who is not a member of the Committee, I really struggle to understand the suggested period for Committee scrutiny. Surely the legislation is not more significant than, for example, the Integrated Education Bill, which went through the House in the previous mandate, or the legislation going through Westminster on terminal illness, for which the Committee Stage took three months. Are we suggesting that this legislation requires more Committee scrutiny than those significant pieces of legislation?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he acknowledge that this is not the only Committee in which this happens? I refer to the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee. Legal and Committee staff supplement that Committee in periods of recess as and when required.”
“Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. Thank you for that detailed ruling. I take it from the response, which is clear, that there have been occasions when the Justice Minister has not furnished Members with details subsequent to questions asked in the Chamber. First, will the Speaker undertake to ensure that his correspondence is directed to the Justice Minister? Secondly, will the Speaker, please, give clarity on what action the Chair can take if the ruling is ignored in the future?”
“Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker. It appears that the Justice Minister is also reluctant to answer serious questions of public concern about the Police Ombudsman and, indeed, wider policing matters. May I ask the Speaker to rule on that and to advise how Members of this democratically elected House can get answers to questions on issues that are rightly of huge concern to many of our constituents? We are getting no answers via the Chamber.”
“I am just fearful that sometimes the message can become mixed, affecting who will be blamed.”
“We all, across the House, share the sense of concern about the fires in the Mournes. The Mournes is a place of natural beauty, which many constituents and, indeed, Members, enjoy on a regular basis. I commend the Minister on the cross-departmental aspect of his response. However, the Minister knows that adequate management of the countryside in relation to the Mournes is required, particularly from farmers. There are those who have lived in that environment for their entire lives who, whether though burning or management of the land, responsibly and successfully look after and manage it. I ask the Minister whether these fires are arson, as in careless behaviour from those who go to the Mournes, or is the Minister concerned about the farmers themselves?”
“The Minister is absolutely right to highlight the fact that the biggest undermining of confidence comes from false information from democratically elected Members in the Chamber. Will the Minister confirm again that the works are being allocated to priority 1 cases and, perhaps, set out further context for why that is the case?”
“I also pay tribute to and commend the efforts of Craigavon Senior High School team, who competed in the Under-16 Boys Schools' Cup final on the same day. While the result may not have gone your way, reaching a final is a fantastic achievement in and of itself. It reflects your talents, dedication and hard work throughout the year. It takes real character to get to a final, and you have done your school proud in all your efforts. Hold your heads up high, and thank you for doing Craigavon proud.”
“You have made the school and the people of Portadown proud and shown what it means to represent Portadown College with pride and excellence.”
“Goals from Heidi Baird and Sasha Thompson helped the girls to secure the trophy for the second year running. It is more than just a trophy; it is a testament to the hard work, determination and team spirit displayed by those girls throughout the season. <BR /> <BR />It is fair to say that women's football is really starting to capture a lot of attention. The girls' wins in Portadown simply reinforce that. Many of them left the football game immediately to go and prepare for a hockey game straight afterwards. That is the true grit and determination that I expect from Upper Bann. Huge congratulations to the players, coaching staff and all those who supported them on a special day at Windsor Park. Prior to that, the girls had also lifted the Mid Ulster Schools' Cup on Monday, retaining the title for the second year in a row.”
“It is appropriate to place it on record that my prayers and deepest sympathy go to the family of young Morgan Henry, who, at 18 years of age, was killed on the Dungannon Road, Portadown, on Sunday morning. Today, they face the devastating task of preparing for the funeral of a young family member and the life sentence of grieving his loss. My thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured in the accident, many of whom are in hospital with severe injuries. <BR /> <BR />It gives me great pleasure to recognise the outstanding achievement of a special group of athletes in Upper Bann. I am sure that the House will join me in congratulating the Portadown College under-16 girls' football team on being crowned the Schools' Cup winners with their 2-0 victory over Parkhall Integrated College last week.”
“— Northern Ireland, because those are actions of his that he is bound to repeat.”
“Mr Tennyson talked about the Members — I think that he was alluding to me — who went to the United States to speak to President Trump and articulate a Northern Ireland-first perspective. That perspective is always missing when he goes out to champion his cause. Look at the past: he and, indeed, Alliance, the SDLP and Sinn Féin run to Europe — in fact, rather than putting Northern Ireland first, they got a train down to Dublin — to shout about Northern Ireland being tied to the European Union's hip. He talks about the UK. There is a 10% tariff rate for the United Kingdom and 20% for the European Union. I hope that Mr Tennyson will be as quick to scurry down to Dublin and over to the European Union to call for it to protect —”
“I do not call for tariffs, and I am pretty sure that every Member in the House has said that they do not agree with tariffs, but actions speak louder than words. That is why Mr Tennyson's words on the matter are hollow. He wants to champion and shout about a European Union that is the most protectionist racket in the world. We see that in its protectionism with regard to subsidies and barriers to entry, whether by stringent regulations or protection of the single market. It wants free trade but only on its terms. <BR /> <BR />I hope that this is a short-term action by the United States and that, globally, countries can break down trade barriers and come to a level playing field, because that is what is needed. We need to see trade barriers broken down.”
“It was once remarked that, when the United States sneezes, the whole world gets a cold. That could be true today. There is a lot of righteous concern about the tariff announcement made by the president of the United States from those who have investments in the stock markets, but it is only fair that we set out the rationale for it. What is President Trump's rationale for tariffs? The US national debt is over $36 trillion, its trade deficit is around $122 billion and government debt is rising faster than GDP. The situation in the United States was unsustainable. Action had to be taken. <BR /> <BR />When I look at the situation, I say this clearly: nobody should want to see trade barriers — nobody.”
“AI is revolutionary and is crucial to future growth opportunities. While other nations want to lead on developing the opportunities that AI presents, the EU wants to lead on its regulation. Is it not inevitable, Minister, that that will hold back innovative entrepreneurs in Northern Ireland whom your party helped to bind to the EU, sacrificing their talents and ambitions on the altar of EU bureaucracy and red tape and presenting further barriers? <BR />Will the Minister commit to a deep departmental analysis, before the regulation is published in the EU journal, to ensure that our indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs are not placed at a disadvantage?”
“We have talked about issues such as ventilation, overcrowding, ageing equipment, lack of clinical accommodation and insufficient bed space. All those issues are continually to the fore at Craigavon Area Hospital. <BR /> <BR />I note that the motion is constructive in saying that discussions are continuing and that there has been "engagement" between the Department of Health and the Southern Trust on Craigavon. My point is that those conversations have to show us a concrete way forward to ensure that we realise the true potential of Craigavon. It is strategically located and can provide the full benefit of servicing that region in a way that befits, I believe, the House and the country.”
“This is an issue that is continually on repeat at Craigavon, whether it is to do with sewage leaks or, as is mentioned in the motion, the serious adverse incident report on COVID. I recently visited some of the new blocks at the Ulster Hospital. I could not believe the space and environment in some of those blocks of the hospital, particularly when it comes to corridor space. I make no bones about saying this: when you go to Craigavon, you see that, at times, it looks like a war scene. It looks like a war scene because its corridors are crowded with beds, its accident and emergency with patients. Given that we have such a population base, if we are to advance healthcare so that it befits the population that we serve, those issues have to be addressed.”