Cllr Harkin slams Sinn Féin for being “out of touch with reality” when it comes to Derry

People Before Profit Councillor, Shaun Harkin, has hit out joint at First Minister, Michelle O'Neill's claims that “good news” and “great opportunities” are heading Derry's way.

A meeting of the Stormont Executive is taking place in Derry today with Ms O'Neill posting on Twitter earlier that she was “looking forward to visiting exciting projects in Derry that will create new jobs and opportunities for the North West”.

However, Cllr Harkin, accused Ms O'Neill and her party, Sinn Féin, of being “out of touch with reality” when it came to Derry citing both the high levels of unemployment and poverty within the city.

Cllr Harkin, who represents the Foyleside ward and will be standing as a MLA candidate for the Assembly come the next election this May, insisted that Stormont had “failed Derry” and that the status quo of Sinn Féin and the DUP needed to be challenged.

He said: “The Stormont Executive is meeting in Derry today and Sinn Féin's joint First Minister Michelle O'Neill is tweeting about the 'good news' and 'great opportunities' for people here.

“Derry is certainly an amazing place with amazing people but the Sinn Féin and Stormont Executive spin machine is increasingly out of touch with reality.

“Thirty per cent of people live below the poverty line in Derry. We have the highest level of youth unemployment. The highest number of people on the housing waiting list. The highest number of people out of work.

“People here have been crushed by Tory welfare reforms brought in by Sinn Féin and the Executive. Substandard pay is rampant.

“Our Council has declared a hardship emergency, a mental health emergency and a climate emergency.

“Our public transportation infrastructure continues to be completely inadequate. Derry rail provision has been an afterthought for the big parties. The Executive has once again broken the commitment to expand Magee to 10,000 students.

“The lack of investment for Derry and the North West from Stormont hasn't changed since the good old days of one-party unionist rule.

“None of this can be described as 'good news' and speaks to the continued 'denial of opportunity' for Derry and the North West.

“The Stormont Executive has failed the people of Derry and no amount of spin can wash this over.

“We need an alternative that's based on actually addressing structural inequality. This requires a full-on challenge to the status quo instead of propping it up.”