Little-Pengelly: NI trade cannot be driven by one party’s ‘political agenda’

Trade policy must not be driven by the “political agenda of any one party”, the deputy First Minister has said, amid claims a major US multinational halted Northern Ireland investment over Sinn Fein positions.

Emma Little-Pengelly said the role of Sinn Fein Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald is “not to lose jobs”, while Michelle O’Neill said her colleague is working to “drum up trade” for the region.

The First Minister also restated her party’s firm opposition to Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

In a Stormont committee on Wednesday DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley put it to Ms Archibald that positions adopted by her and her party caused global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald to cancel investment in the region that would have generated 300 jobs.

It is understood Mr Buckley was referring to Sinn Fein’s stance on the Israel/Gaza conflict.

Sinn Fein is a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, and last year the party boycotted traditional St Patrick’s Day events at the White House in protest against US President Donald Trump’s support for Israel.

Mr Trump’s secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick is the former chairman and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald.

Asked if she agreed with her party colleague’s assessment of the deal, Ms Little-Pengelly told reporters that the US has “always been a strong friend of Northern Ireland”.

“It has been one of the highest sources of that in terms of the good jobs that are brought here, jobs that benefit people from every community here in Northern Ireland,” she said.

She added: “It is the role of the economy minister to secure jobs, not to lose jobs, and of course, this story has come to light this week, I will be asking questions about the detail of that.

“Of course, political parties have a right to have various views on issues, but the economy minister also must take that role very seriously in terms of securing that employment, because, of course, Northern Ireland has a wide range of different views here.

“Some people may feel more comfortable working for certain companies than others, but we should never be bringing personal political views into those types of decisions.

“We shouldn’t be jeopardising, or indeed basing our trade policy on the particular political agenda of any one party.

“Our economy minister is there to be the economy minister for the Executive, and really to get those jobs for everyone in Northern Ireland.”

Speaking alongside her, Ms O’Neill told reporters that companies “including Cantor Fitzgerald will speculate about whether or not they’re going to invest somewhere”.

“My job in all of that is always to promote us and to tell people that we’re a great place to live, to work, to invest and to study, that’s very much our message, and that we’re very much open for business,” she said.

“It’s for them to decide whether they decide to invest somewhere or not, and I fully respect their decision, them or any other company that actually decides to invest here.

“So yes, I have spoken to the economy minister, and I will continue to do so as she tries to drum up trade in all of her investment missions that she does.”

She added: “But separate to that is my position in terms of genocide and being on the right side of history on what’s happening in Gaza, and that is a genocide.

“I think that the position that’s been adopted at both the US level and more widely than an international level, to allow Israel to act with impunity is something that is widely recognised here as wrong.”

Ms O’Neill further stated: “I think if we see anything of the behaviour of the United States over the course of the recent days and weeks, international law is what needs to prevail.”

The two were speaking after an East-West Council meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn.

Mr Benn said Mr Trump and the threat of tariffs were not discussed in their meeting.

“No, the president’s name did not come up in the meeting,” Mr Benn told reporters.

“Clearly, if had we met yesterday, we might have had a slightly different discussion.

“But the news yesterday from Davos (was) that the threat of tariffs had been lifted and the Prime Minister had been very clear in saying that was the wrong thing to do, and we’re now in a different situation.”

He added that the decision on whether people go to Washington for St Patrick’s Day was “a matter for them”.