Sinn Féin MP’s Conor Murphy (Newry and Armagh, and Pat Doherty ( ) met this week in London with the British Labour party’s Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Ed Balls.
This was the latest in a round of meetings between Sinn Féin MPs and key political figures in Britain to set out Sinn Féin’s opposition to Tory austerity policies in the north, the case for Irish unity and the need for a hands-on approach to the political process.
Speaking after the meeting Conor Murphy said:
“We had a very positive meeting this with British Labour Party Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and we have agreed to meet again.
“In the course of the meeting we expressed our sense that the Stormont House Agreement has created the potential for a fresh start for politics here.
“Obviously the delivery and implementation of that agreement and previous agreements are crucial to ensuring that fresh start and that is the focus for Sinn Féin.
“To date the British and Irish governments have failed to live up to their responsibilities and obligations as co-guarantors of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements.
“We made it clear to Ed Balls today that that has to change and that any incoming British government has to live up to its commitments.
“We also discussed the current financial pressures in the north caused by year-on-year Tory cuts to the block grant and their assault on the welfare state.
“We told him that Sinn Féin wants the transfer of full fiscal powers to the Executive so that we have the tools to grow the economy, create jobs and protect the most vulnerable in our society.”
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