Sinn Féin leader says implications of Brexit ‘catastrophic’

The implications of Brexit for the island of Ireland “are catastrophic”, Michelle O’Neill has warned in her first face-to-face meeting with business leaders since becoming party leader of Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland.

Ms O’Neill believes Brexit poses an “unprecedented” threat to the North’s economy and is urging business people to make their voices heard on ensuring Northern Ireland has “continued unfettered access” to the European Union and its associated benefits.

“There is no such thing as a soft border,” she emphatically told local business leaders during the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce “5 Leaders, 5 Days” event in Magherafelt on Wednesday morning.

“It is vital we maintain the full exposure to the European Union – we have to fight for it. Sinn Féin has set out our proposals for achieving designated special status for the North to remain within the EU. That is the best way forward and it is imperative that the whole island of Ireland remains in the EU together to protect trade, jobs and citizens’ rights.

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“I found the Taoiseach’s comments last week hugely disappointing,” she said referring to the Government’s refusal to back the Sinn Féin proposal that the North be afforded a special designated status within the EU. “We are currently on a diplomatic offensive across Europe where we are finding a lot of sympathy for the North to remain.

“But we need the wider civic society, the business sector, trade unions and everyone who opposes Brexit to work together on that offensive. Our ask is possible if we make the right noise,” Ms O’Neill said.

She is the third party leader to participate in the business group’s series which aims to give the leaders from the five main political parties the opportunity to set out in person to the business community their plans for jobs, growth and the economy.

DUP leader Arlene Foster and Michael Nesbitt, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party have already used the platform as an opportunity to campaign for business votes in the next Northern Ireland elections on March 2nd.

Home turf

Ms O’Neill was on home turf in her Mid Ulster constituency on Wednesday morning as she met with business leaders at the office and production headquarters of locally-owned company Bloc Blinds. She said she welcomed the opportunity to “start a conversation” with the North’s business community and that she wanted to build a “new relationship” with businesses as part of her commitment to “delivering prosperity for all in Northern Ireland”.

Ms O’Neill said she wanted the business community to realise the upcoming elections were “not about orange and green” politics.

“I take no pleasure in acknowledging there is a lack of public confidence in politics because of DUP scandals from Red Sky to Nama and the RHI [Renewable Heat Incentive scheme].

“This election is about the RHI scandal, it is about £500 million out of our finances, it is about corruption at the heart of government,” she said.

The Sinn Féin party leader also said there should be no confusion over whether her party wanted to be in government in the North.

“We want to be in the institutions but we can only be there if we have integrity and respect in government. Unionists and nationalists can work together if they come at it with the right attitude,” she added. But Ms O’Neill said without the restoration of the institutions at Stormont “everything was up in the air” – including the devolution of corporation tax powers to the North next April.

“We want to get back to making it work and we are still working to do it to the deadline, but without the Executive everything is at risk,” she said.