SDLP Jobs spokesperson and Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin
An online event takes place on Tuesday, which will be addressed by business leaders as well as SDLP leader Colum Eastwood MP, the party’s jobs spokesperson Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin and Foyle MLA Mark Durkan.
The first element of the Jobs Plan is based on mitigating the impact of Brexit and the Protocol, while using the opportunities created by the Protocol in giving Northern Ireland membership of both the UK’s Internal Market and the EU Single Market.
Sinead McLaughlin MLA said: “It is essential that the UK government and the EU negotiate in good faith to mitigate the impact of the Protocol. Most of the difficulties can be overcome.
“But we must take advantage of the opportunities created by the Protocol, which makes us members of two major trade markets.
“No other place has this benefit. We can use this to create a substantial number of new jobs, both through local businesses expanding and by new investors coming in.
“We are already seeing large retailers in Northern Ireland changing their supply chains to buy more local produce.
“We must focus much more of the opportunities we now have. At last, Northern Ireland has a unique selling point. Let’s exploit it.”
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: “The SDLP has a positive vision for the future. Creating more jobs sits at the heart of this.
“I am proud that my party is developing a Jobs Plan for the North West, which will feed into the SDLP’s Jobs Plan for Northern Ireland.
“But as well as having ideas and a vision, we also believe in consultation, so I am delighted that business leaders are engaged in this process.”
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