A Conservative Westminster candidate has claimed that Labour has shown “the utmost contempt for voters in Northern Ireland and for its own members”, after the party’s Northern Ireland spokesman again ruled out standing candidates in Northern Ireland. Mark Brotherston said that Ivan Lewis’s comments, given in response to a proposal to form a new Northern Irish Labour Party, linked to UK Labour and Irish Labour, “make a mockery of Ed Miliband’s ‘One Nation’ slogan”.
“Ivan Lewis has delivered yet another slap in the face to Labour members in Northern Ireland and a signal of the party’s contempt for voters here”, Mark explained. “Last weekend the Irish Labour Party passed a motion designed to ease the way for Labour candidates to stand in Northern Ireland elections. Ivan Lewis immediately ruled out fielding any candidates, again citing unconvincing arguments about acting as ‘a honest broker’, yet also pointing to his party’s pact with the nationalist SDLP, whose councillors recently voted to ban poppies from council premises and allowed a play-park to retain the name of an IRA man.”
“The Labour leadership has consistently shown its disdain for the rights of voters in Northern Ireland to choose their national government. Far from demonstrating commitment to the UK, Labour allies itself with people who want to split the state apart. It’s therefore particularly bemusing that the DUP and other so-called unionists have praised Labour policies and indicated that they may do a deal with the party after the election. Clearly Ed Miliband, Ivan Lewis and co. have no interest in normalising politics here. Only a vote for a Conservative candidate can keep Labour out of Downing Street and ensure that we have a Prime Minister who supports unequivocally Northern Ireland playing a full role in UK politics.”