Harland and Wolff contract is great news for East Belfast

East Belfast Alliance representatives have welcomed news of a major new contract won by Harland and Wolff. The East Belfast company will work on an oil rig which is due to arrive in Belfast later this week, creating employment for approximately 1,000 contractors for between two and three months. The contract is believed to be […]

Campbell condemns overnight attack on gritting lorry

Alliance Councillor Tom Campbell has condemned the stoning of a gritting lorry in Devenish Drive on Tuesday night. The incident occurred on Devenish Drive, Monkstown, at around 8.30pm on Tuesday night, when the driver in question was carrying out an essential service ahead of expected severe weather. Councillor Tom Campbell said: “At a time when […]

Long says Blair appearance shows need for comprehensive deal on past

East Belfast MP Naomi Long has said former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s appearance at a Westminster Committee investigating the administrative scheme for so-called ‘on-the-runs’ has highlighted the need for a comprehensive mechanism for dealing with the past and the importance of transparency in any agreements reached as part of the political process. Alliance MP Mrs […]

Education can make savings through promotion of a shared future – Lunn

Alliance Education spokesperson Trevor Lunn has said that the Education Minister must abide by the commitments within the Stormont House Agreement around the promotion of integrated education and by tackling of the cost of division. Trevor Lunn MLA said: “The Minister of Education, like all Ministers, faces difficult financial decisions; however I believe his Department […]

Equal civil marriage should have been resolved at political level – Farry

Alliance North Down MLA Stephen Farry, has said that it is disappointing that equality issues such as equal civil marriage have had to go to the courts to be resolved due to the failure of the Northern Ireland political system to address the issue. His comments were made as a same sex couple, married in […]

Alliance will always put victims first – Opinion piece by Naomi Long

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s appearance today at the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee has once again shown the need for a comprehensive mechanism for dealing with the past in Northern Ireland. Mr Blair is appearing in relation to the so-called on-the-runs scandal, in which around 200 republicans suspected of crimes carried out during the […]

Cochrane – Commitment to tackle cost of division must be honoured

Alliance Finance spokesperson, Judith Cochrane MLA, has said that the Executive must honour the commitment within the Stormont House Agreement that departmental spending would be independently audited to ensure we do not continue to waste resources on maintaining division. She was speaking during a debate in the Assembly on the draft 2015/16 budget. The Stormont […]

Alliance disappointed by Council decision to reject reservoir offer

Alliance Councillors on the new North Down and Ards District Council have been left disappointed after a proposal to explore saving redundant reservoirs across the new Council area was rejected. North Down and Ards District Council was offered eight redundant Reservoirs by Northern Ireland Water in August 2014, but has now rejected an Alliance proposal […]

Ford – Assembly should have elected a Speaker last year

Alliance Leader David Ford MLA, has welcomed the election of Mitchel McLaughlin as the new Assembly Speaker, but has said that the DUP should have voted for his election last year. David Ford MLA said: “I am pleased that the Assembly has elected a new Speaker, however it is a case of better late than […]

Long – No justification for letter bomb sent to Police

Alliance East Belfast MP Naomi Long has condemned those responsible for a viable letter bomb which was sent to Police headquarters in East Belfast. The device was dealt with by Army Technical Officers. Naomi Long MP said: “There can never be any justification for such acts of terrorism. It was clearly the intent of those […]