Maginness: SF election broadcast a damning indictment of their record in government

Sunday 10 May 2009

SDLP European Election candidate Alban Maginness has said that by claiming credit for Margaret Ritchie's fuel poverty package in their election broadcast Sinn Féin have shown their ineffectiveness in government.

SDLP European Election candidate Alban Maginness has said that by claiming credit for Margaret Ritchie's fuel poverty package in their election broadcast Sinn Féin have shown their ineffectiveness in government.

He said: "There is a long established practice of Sinn Féin stealing SDLP policies.

"Therefore, we should take it as a compliment that Sinn Féin are claiming the introduction of the £150 fuel poverty payment as their main achievement in government in their European election broadcast.

"Every right minded person knows this was Margaret Ritchie's initiative. And they will not have forgotten that last year Sinn Féin blocked executive meetings for 154 days meaning that those most in need did not get their payment until Easter long after the cold winter months.

"But is says a lot that the best Sinn Féin can come up with is an SDLP scheme and it will not have gone unnoticed that they rate Margaret Ritchie's work higher than their own education minister, who let's face has not got a lot to boast about.

"Furthermore, many in the community will be interested to hear Sinn Féin bragging about the deferral of water charges.

"Only the SDLP has been consistently opposed to their introduction and we like others would like Sinn Féin to tell us when they broke their own manifesto pledge and introduced them.

"Overall this is a damning indictment of their record in government.

"The other parties will now be making all sorts of promises about what they are going to do over the next five years. The question I ask is what they have been doing for the previous five.

"Only the SDLP has the craft, influence and power to deliver for the North and our shattered economy in Europe.

"It is clear that in government here the other parties are out of their depth, the European Parliament is out of their league, and after June 4 they should be out on their ear."

ends