Dickson & Donnelly Hail Success of Annual East Antrim Alliance Business Breakfast

East Antrim MLA, and Economy Spokesperson for the Alliance Party, Stewart Dickson, together with East Antrim colleague, Danny Donnelly MLA, hailed the East Antrim Alliance Business Breakfast as “a tremendous success”.

Mr Dickson welcomed business owners, local employers, and Alliance Party members from across the constituency and beyond, to the breakfast held at Carrickfergus Golf Club on Friday morning.

Breakfast goers were joined by guest speaker, Stephen Kelly, from Manufacturing NI, and the Leader of the Alliance Party and Justice Minister, Naomi Long MLA.

Opening the morning, Mr Dickson reflected on the past year saying: “We have had a tumultuous year with lockdown party allegations, investigations, resignations, a war in Ukraine, a cost-of-living crisis, and an Assembly election”.

Looking forwards, Mr Dickson said: “It has been one hundred and twenty days since the May Assembly Election, and circumstances for many in our society have deteriorated drastically in that time.

“Reality and sense must prevail over political posturing and inaction. A recession is on the horizon, prices are rising, and people are fearful of the winter ahead. We simply must get a functioning Executive back up and running”.

Danny Donnelly, East Antrim's recently elected second Alliance MLA, was also a speaker in attendance at the business breakfast. Mr Donnelly said: "I am delighted to have been elected in May to represent East Antrim and to be part of Alliance's ever-growing team.

"The immediate priority must be the formation of a new Executive. Alliance has been ready to get to work since day one; it is now time for others to step up.

"As a nurse who worked in the Health Service for many years, I am highly concerned about the ever-growing health waiting lists. After a challenging summer, an incredibly difficult winter lies ahead. Without adequate funding and resources, the health and care system will not be able to deal with the considerable challenges ahead.

The event’s keynote speaker, Stephen Kelly, from Manufacturing NI, focused on the integral role Northern Ireland’s manufacturing industry plays in the economy of the region and emphasised the number of families supported through employment in the sector.

Mr Kelly said: “When manufacturing grows, the whole economy grows with it. We need well-paid, sustainable jobs in places where people want to work, set up home, and contribute to their community.

"It's incumbent upon politicians to consider the challenges the industry is facing. Currently, the sector's biggest inhibitor is a lack of labour – not the protocol.

"The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is only going to make everything worse. It could create a commercial border on the island of Ireland and effectively a border for every one of the 90,000 manufacturing businesses here.

“Politicians must consider the imminent crisis we are facing and focus on creating an environment that will sustain and enhance manufacturing in Northern Ireland.”

Alliance Party Leader and Justice Minister, Naomi Long MLA, said: “It was wonderful to see the return of the Alliance East Antrim Business Breakfast, an important event in the local business calendar, both for organisations from East Antrim and further afield.

“At a time when many businesses are facing an increasingly bleak outlook due to the pandemic, the fallout from Brexit and now rising energy costs, an event such as this is of vital importance. It was a positive occasion which showcased the work being done to support business and opportunities which can be availed of across various sectors.

“It also took place at a time when we are seeing the impact of a dysfunctional Executive on our everyday lives, including in the business community. Only with a stable and functional government can we properly allow our businesses to flourish.

“We need to do all we can to support local businesses in these trying times and the Alliance East Antrim business breakfast shows how working hard together, we can do just that”.