Vote People Before Profit to end the dinosaur sectarian order

The DUP opportunistically whipped-up sectarian tension over the protocol but it’s not the main issue in any community. Hardship, the health service, housing and climate crisis come before it. The change our communities need won’t be ransom to a bankrupt agenda.

The cost of living is the main issue - and the Executive’s record is atrocious. They depend on driving us into communal camps but haven’t succeeded in muting hardship this time. The Stormont political establishment spent two decades greenlighting Tory health service privatisation; pushing tax cuts for big corporations; voting through benefit sanctions and cruel welfare reforms; and slashing workers’ wages.

Before the pandemic nearly 30% in Derry lived below the poverty line. Instead of tackling this, the big parties made it worse. Regional inequality still blights our beautiful city and North West. Rail provision is a disgrace. The promise of Magee expansion clashes with Ulster University bosses’ priorities. Invest NI hasn’t a Derry strategy. The Executive underfunds our talented arts and culture sector. That’s why the cost of living crisis disproportionately hits Foyle.

In the face of this, the DUP/Sinn Féin led Executive has done virtually nothing to help people. The rest of the Executive hasn’t been much better. SDLP joined the DUP and Sinn Féin to impose an insulting Tory real terms pay cut on health and social care workers. From claps to slaps for pandemic heroes and essential workers.

Alliance and UUP joined the DUP to vote down progressive workers’ rights legislation.

The call for Stormont to declare a Hardship Emergency in December was ignored by Sinn Féin, SDLP and Alliance.

All Executive parties voted against reducing private rents.

Our proposal to put £3 million unspent Council Covid money towards a hardship fund was blocked by SDLP, Sinn Féin and Alliance.

There’s been no emergency Assembly meetings to discuss price caps or using devolved power to impose windfall taxes on companies raking in huge profits.

We get the typical “there is no money” response when workers and the bottom-half demand action. There was plenty of money during the pandemic. The Executive shovelled it out to elites, corporations and the politically-connected.

There is money for emergency hardship help, for above inflation pay rises, for 30 hours free childcare, for universal free school meals, to reduce waiting lists, and more.

When it comes to equal rights, the Executive’s record is shameful. Women are still denied basic rights. Our LGBT+ community face continued marginalisation. The entire Executive criminalised Black Lives Matter protests instead of criminalising racism and bigotry.

They agreed a Climate Act but smash-up the Sperrins, Lough Neagh and do nothing about Mobuoy dump.

There is another way. Every vote for People Before Profit is a vote to end the dinosaur sectarian order, against spiralling inequality and for equal rights we all deserve. If you’ve had enough, put People Before Profit on May 5.