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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“Sorry? Oh, yes, absolutely, Ms Armstrong.”
“I will not give way at this stage, but I will happily give way later in the debate to the leader of the Alliance Party.”
“— to the Member for South Belfast. I will allow him to perhaps comment on that at another stage. John Hume went on to say:”
“Yes. Systems that were, in part, crafted by his late party leader, John Hume.”
“I will say it, because the Member simply does not understand the procedures by which the Assembly operates.”
“The Member probably does not understand —”
“I will come to the Member in a moment. <BR /> <BR />Other parties are on the record from that time. John Hume said:”
“I will in a moment. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps she should take a long look in her own mirror as to how the Alliance Party has moved from the core principles of the Belfast Agreement, which enshrined cross-community voting to ensure that this place could operate on a fair and equitable basis.”
“The leader of the Alliance Party is keen to quote party policy.”
“Perhaps the Member can allay my fears on this very point. In 1998, there were political negotiations and so emerged the Belfast Agreement. What was the Alliance Party's response to the Belfast Agreement?”
“I will come on to that very point. In 1998 —”
“I thank the Member for the intervention because not only have I studied my party's manifestos but I have studied Alliance's.”
“Members will probably agree that it seems odd that the DUP is in the Chamber today to stand up for the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. We do so because one of its core concepts, which went to the very heart of settling Northern Ireland politically, was by means of mutual consent and respect and by means of a cross-community vote.”
“Members will vote on giving the authority for the EU Parliament to take control of over 300 areas of law, allowing it to decide the regulations by which businesses and consumers will operate, with no attempt, no ability and no desire to scrutinise them and vote on them in this Chamber. <BR /> <BR />What was the protocol designed, in part, to do? We were told that it was to protect peace, protect the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland. It is important, in today's debate, that we examine and scrutinise those basic concepts for which we were told it was so necessary to have the arrangements in place today. <BR /> <BR />Let us look at the first two objectives. First, to protect the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.”
“It simply would not let this happen if it thought that the outcome would not be guaranteed. It has its quislings in this very Chamber: those who know exactly what the EU's priorities are and who will advance them at every opportunity. <BR /> <BR />The protocol has destabilised Northern Ireland's political landscape, fuelled division and shattered trust. The rigged nature of today's vote is evidence of that. My colleague Paul Frew often talks in this place about a "zombie Assembly". Well, never has there been a more clear example of a zombie Assembly than today.”
“What is today's debate all about? Is it a genuine attempt to give Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly a democratic say in the laws that govern them? Or is it merely parliamentary parlour games, giving lip service to the basic tenets of democratic concepts? Members, be under no illusion: today's debate, today's vote, is an illusion of democracy. It is a rigged vote of which the European Union already knows the outcome. If any Member believes otherwise, please stand up and I will take your intervention. The outcome of this vote is known. Just yesterday, I listened to some experts on the Brexit process and, indeed, European relations say that this vote is something special, as the European Union does not simply allow devolved Governments to have a say on trade policy, never mind the UK Government.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement and, in particular, the emphasis on and investment in PE. We know that, with the rise of unhealthy lifestyles, PE is essential to children's lives. <BR /> <BR />My question builds on the Member for North Antrim's question about kids with disabilities. Kids in special schools and their families face some of the most challenging circumstances, and their access to physical education is so limited. What assurance can the Minister give that those in special schools will be able to access fair and proportionate amounts of the funding?”
“Labour's disastrous Budget had a severe impact not just on farmers but on business owners, and the increase in employer National Insurance contributions has left many of them feeling that they are being taxed to the point of death. Growth rates have slowed down as a result of the Budget, and there have been record numbers of company insolvencies throughout the UK as a result of Labour's half-baked policies. Can the Minister outline how many businesses in Northern Ireland have filed for company insolvency post the Labour Budget?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. That was a big point of discussion in the Committee. Does the Member envisage there being a point in the future, if the provision for substitute members does not work, when proxy voting could be explored further by the Committee?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Whilst she is talking about the review, one of the issues that come to my mind is the provision for the Chair, in the event that the Chair and Deputy Chair are not present, to be the oldest serving Member. Would it not make more sense for it to be the longest-serving Member of that Committee? The oldest Member of the Committee, in certain circumstances, may just have been appointed to the Committee, given that time would change its membership. Would it not probably be more productive to appoint the longest-serving Member, as opposed to the oldest?”
“The Chancellor says that Labour's tax raid on family farms will bring in £520 million a year. We are told that that is needed to overturn some of the deep, dark holes in our public finances, yet, not even a month later, the same Labour Government have committed £536 million to be spent overseas on 10 programmes to promote low-carbon agriculture projects, including in Rwanda and in the eleventh largest economy in the world, Brazil. Minister, do you agree with that wasteful spend of public money — yes or no — or do you believe that the money should be spent on family farms in the United Kingdom to ensure that they have a viable future?”
“The Minister will know that the roll-out of defibrillators has very much been community-led to date. With that in the mind, will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the 297 schools that, through PTA funding and community business funding, have supplied them? Will he outline the process by which schools will obtain their defibrillators?”
“He will be missed in this place, but he will be especially missed in your family home, and I give thanks for the life of Ken Reid.”
“<BR /> <BR />He interviewed seven Prime Ministers and some US presidents. He had such an opportunity to speak for so many, sometimes in such difficult circumstances. It is clear to see the sheer warmth that many of his former colleagues share for him. I do not think that I am alone when I say that I was particularly moved by Mr Nesbitt's tributes on TV and radio. It is clear what Ken Reid meant to you as an individual and, I am sure, to every one of your former colleagues. <BR /> <BR />Ken has passed, but his memory certainly lives on. When Ken was retiring, he talked to many of us about his love for his family. On behalf of the Democratic Unionist Party, I say this to Ken's wife, Liz, his children Gareth, Sarah and Sophie and his grandchildren Summer and Hugo: Ken truly was a special man.”
“Like many Members, I have been touched by some of the stories told following Ken's passing and by how Members across the House had a confidence and trust in Ken Reid that they do not normally have in journalists. Ken inspired that trust. It was a conversation. <BR /> <BR />I remember, on my first occasion of being elected to this place, being introduced to that man, who I had seen on television all my life. I think that it was you, Mr Speaker, who brought me down for a cup of tea or coffee with Ken. Immediately, Ken tried to school me. He said, "Here are a couple of books. You need to read them and really understand what they mean. Put them on your bedside table." Such was his knowledge, understanding and interest in all things politics that he truly was a man in a class of his own.”
“On Wednesday past, Northern Ireland lost a colossus in local journalism. Ken Reid passed away after a long battle with leukaemia. He truly was an inspiration to many Members in the Chamber and many of his colleagues with whom he worked for many years in local journalism. His career began in 1977 and led him to the heights of political correspondence throughout one of Northern Ireland's most difficult periods. <BR /> <BR />What other journalist could provoke a hushed moment in a family home? I remember, as do, I am sure, many Members, my parents saying, "Shh! Let us listen to Ken Reid". Such was his political antennae and analysis that many people wanted to tune in to listen to what he had to say. He was a trustworthy individual.”
“To the Minister, I say this: get real on the issue, because running out of last night's meeting with your bow tie between your legs will not help the agriculture community deal with this real threat. I look forward to seeing the parties opposite bring forward policies that are pro-agriculture. Rest assured, you will be held accountable for every single one of them.”
“Thousands of jobs on farms would be sacrificed on the altar of net zero by the agriculturally illiterate, who did not care about the devastation that the legislation would cause to farm families. Instead, they voted for it at Second Stage in the Chamber, with the exception of the TUV and the DUP. <BR /> <BR />Members, we earlier debated bovine TB. In Northern Ireland, 90,000 cattle have been destroyed in the past five years. They were taken to the slaughterhouse: years of family breeding ended because the Assembly could not deal with the wildlife problem. <BR /> <BR />In closing, my message to farmers is this: you have a captive audience in your political representatives right now. Do not lose it. Hold them accountable. The decision, if not challenged and reversed, will lead to worse decisions in the future for agriculture.”
“It is a good question, because all of us in the Chamber know that the decision is not a devolved one. As I listened on, the gentleman said that he was worried about the viability of his farm, and I said, "If tonight has achieved one thing, it is this: there has been a recalibration". Parties in here are finding reverse gear, because, for too long, I have come to the Chamber and listened to Ministers and Members bring forward policies and table motions that are anti-agriculture. That is a fact, so let us not hide from it. <BR /> <BR />The former Green Party Member Clare Bailey introduced a Climate Change Bill that the evidence said would result in 80% of our livestock having to go and our processing sector being wiped out.”
“When Members go into the Senate Chamber and look up at the wall, they will see that three industries are represented: shipbuilding, linen and agriculture. Those are the three pillar industries of society. Those industries and the people who worked in them with blood, sweat and tears made this country what it was. Shipbuilding and linen production are gone, but agriculture remains, Members. We are receiving a lesson from the farmer today, which is, "Ignore us at your peril". <BR /> <BR />Last night, there was a significant gathering of those who are concerned about the autumn Budget. Indeed, some 6,000 people gathered. They were not just old people and not just men. Men, women and children, who make up our society, are worried. I was asked the question, "Jonny, what will tonight achieve?".”
“That is a fundamental misunderstanding of how a family farm is handed from one generation to the next. It is a fundamental misunderstanding of the huge costs involved. It has already been mentioned that land prices in Northern Ireland vastly outstrip those in many other parts of the United Kingdom. It is not long before you tot up £1 million pounds, taking into account the farm dwelling, farm buildings and farm machinery. The estimates are that one in three farms in Northern Ireland and 75% of our dairy farms could be affected. I will go as far as saying that the change will be much more consequential because, as time rolls on, we will see our family farms and the generations of families that ran them ebbing into a distant past. Agriculture will be looked upon as an industry of the past.”
“That is the type of language that Members need to get real with because we are undermining food security. In Northern Ireland, we have some of the most fantastic producers of quality farm food. Across these islands, we are known for that. Yet, zealot quests, be they from Treasury or from those who want to pursue net zero in cruel and ambitious ways, are destroying the very fabric of our society: the farmers, who have done so much. <BR /> <BR />We have to be realistic about the changes that will come as a result of the abolition of agricultural property relief. Many onlookers to today's debate will think, "A million pounds? That sounds like a lot of money. These farmers are rich. Why should they not pay inheritance tax in the same way as the rest of us?".”
“It does not matter whether you are a republican in Strabane or a unionist in north Antrim: this affects us all. The Labour Government need to face up to the reality because their approach is continuing to strip away the very fabric of this society. I look at inheritance tax as a jealousy tax and a tax of envy. It is a tax raid because it is on income that has already been taxed. <BR /> <BR />The changes in inheritance tax go to the very heart of the anger that farmers are feeling today. We talk about succession planning, the barriers to new entry, discouraging investment and rising operational costs. Farmers are facing a fight on so many fronts, and today they are shouting. They are shouting to the Government, "Don't put your boot on us. Put your hand down and lift us up".”
“I will in a moment. <BR /> <BR />It is about their children. The pressures that farming life brings, with high-value assets and low incomes, means that, for many of them, the changes will bring about the destruction of the farming unit. We all know that today's 20% inheritance tax will salami-slice the farm because it cannot be paid for with farm income. An important point that was raised with me last night is that the old must die, but the young can die. How many young family farmers will take on the family farm not knowing what the future will bring? My colleague Miss McIlveen mentioned the heartache that comes with family farm deaths. I lost two uncles in family farm deaths. You cannot plan for the future, yet families will be faced with huge tax bills, which will destroy the viability of farms and the fabric of rural communities.”
“The family farm would have been broken up and destroyed, yet, because of the policies that we had in this country to support agricultural family farms, William Irwin was able not only to inherit his family farm but bring it to new heights and the level that it is at today. What is threatened? If Members listened last night to the farmers who were represented at the Eikon exhibition centre, they will know that it is about their children.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Today's debate has been important. Who would have thought that four months of Labour Government would have wreaked such havoc and destruction on the stable block of UK society? They have pickpocketed pensioners, tied the arm of small businesses behind their back with National Insurance contribution rises and destroyed the bedrock of our communities across this United Kingdom: our family farms. <BR /> <BR />I have deliberately stood in the Chamber beside a man who has been involved in agriculture his entire life. William Irwin, my friend and colleague, had to take on the burden and responsibility of running a family farm at 20 years of age when his father passed away. Under the inheritance tax rules that we have debated today, William Irwin would not have been able to take on his family farm.”
“Minister, I welcome the statement. It is hugely welcome that this is the first devolved region to attempt to deal with the deceit, hurt and lies of the Labour Party's decision to remove the winter fuel payment from millions of pensioners across the United Kingdom. What has been the attitude of the Labour Party to date in his conversations with it about potential recurring funding or reinstatement of the fund? Does the Minister believe that, in the coming years, we will see an overturning of the policy?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The reason that I have to repeat all that is because so much of it has not been dealt with. Does the Member regret the fact that his party's motion on the relationship with the European Union fails even to mention the serious frictions that are faced by businesses that are involved in east-west trade?”
“We will hopefully have more than three minutes.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he agree that one of the major issues is the approach taken by many political parties in the Chamber of continually burying their heads in the sand about the total and absolute carnage that continued trade borders between Great Britain and Northern Ireland creates for Northern Ireland businesses?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He has always been a strong advocate of local, strong representation. In light of that, why does he support lawmakers 500 miles away in Brussels, rather than in the Assembly and, indeed, in Westminster, where his party takes its seats, making laws for Northern Ireland in over 300 areas?”
“The issue is clear, Members. We will vote against.”
“My time is brief. <BR /> <BR />It is also about immigration. We saw that in a recent debate at Westminster. Northern Ireland could, essentially, be a back door for illegal immigration because of the continued application of EU law. It applies also to issues of legacy.”
“The nub of the issue, as my honourable friend has said, is the continued application of EU law in some 300 areas that pertain to large swathes of our economy, which continues to impact on many businesses in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is not just about the economy.”
“I thank the Member for the intervention. It gets absolutely to the nub of the issue. <BR /> <BR />Many Members do not want to talk about it, but the real issue that affects many of our everyday businesses — in our manufacturing sector, for example — is that they are forced into the red lane and face full customs and tariff checks, which competitively disadvantages them compared with their GB counterparts. Their businesses are becoming unsustainable. <BR /> <BR />The chief executive of Invest NI has said that he has seen no evidence to date that dual market access has attracted any foreign direct investment to Northern Ireland.”
“The DUP believes not only that continued barriers to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland are unacceptable in a sovereign state but that they further undermine the integrity of the UK internal market. I give way to Mrs Dodds.”
“In other words, it was designed specifically, at the behest of the European Union and with the UK Government surrendering, to have a pre-contrived outcome. That, in itself, is outrageous given the seriousness of the issue that we are discussing today, an issue that has a profound impact on many businesses and, indeed, community life in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Today and in coming weeks, when we go on to debate and vote on the democratic consent mechanism, the Democratic Unionist Party and I will vote against the continued application of articles 5 to 10 of the Windsor framework or protocol. We have a clear mandate to do so, because we see continued harm being caused to our many businesses throughout Northern Ireland. It is very clear. The DUP believes that continued —”
“They say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and I suppose that that is what we see today. This debate and vote are very much a dry run for what will come in the coming weeks: the vote on the democratic consent mechanism that was enshrined in article 18 of the original protocol and against which I and this party voted and spoke on many occasions. <BR /> <BR />What we have seen in the development of the debate is much revisionism in the Chamber. As my colleague Mr Brooks mentioned, we have heard much reference to the Belfast Agreement, which enshrined at its very heart a cross-community vote. Members will be well aware that, in the vote that we will have, the aspect of cross-community voting will be removed.”
“To follow on from Mr McHugh's question, the Minister will know that many areas in our rural communities benefit from street lights. Those street lights, in legacy terms, exist because of accident black spots or for community safety reasons. Does the Minister agree that taking those lights away and not replacing them puts those rural communities at considerable threat?”
“Further to that point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I appreciate your referring of the matter to the Speaker's Office, because I do not see anything in Standing Orders that suggests that an intervention made during any moment of a Member's three minutes will not be accepted.”