McLaughlin: Widening wages gap with the South is wake-up call for Stormont

SDLP Economy Spokesperson Sinéad McLaughlin MLA has said the growing gap in wages, living standards, and life outcomes between the North and South of Ireland must serve as an urgent call to action for the Executive.

She was speaking following the publication of a landmark report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), which finds that:

* Household disposable income in the South is 18.3% higher than in Northern Ireland, and the gap is continuing to widen;

* Hourly earnings in the South are 36% higher on a purchasing power parity-adjusted basis;

* Life expectancy, education participation and early years outcomes are all significantly better in the Republic than in Northern Ireland.

Said the Foyle MLA: “This is a damning indictment of the structural inequality on our island.

“The ESRI has laid it out in stark terms: our people are working for lower wages, living on lower incomes, and dying at younger ages than those just a few miles down the road. That is not only unacceptable, it is morally indefensible.”

“The gap between North and South is not a fact of nature. It is the product of political instability, policy failure, and a broken economic model that no longer serves our people.

“The repeated collapse of the Executive has left us with an economy that is the laggard of these islands. That is a political choice, and one with real human cost.”

“This report also confirms the long-term economic damage of Brexit. While trade between Northern Ireland and Ireland has grown, our productivity, investment, and educational performance remain stagnant.

“The fact that nearly a third of our 15–19-year-olds not in education, far above the figure in the South, should be a cause of deep concern to everyone.

“Stormont must start delivering real, measurable change on our economy by investing in skills, dealing with regional imbalances and boosting productivity if we are going to close the gap in living standards and level up opportunity across the island.

“This report will also fuel debate around constitutional change on this island. As people here are forced to look on with envy at a modern, dynamic, European economy thrive in the South, there is little doubt that they will question whether the existing settlement is delivering for our communities.

“The SDLP firmly believes that a new Ireland has the potential to open the doors to opportunity for all the people on this island and give them the future that they deserve.”

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