Debate contribution: Regional Imbalance

Debate contribution by Mr Gary Middleton on 6 October 2025.

MLA: Mr Gary Middleton
Party at the time: Democratic Unionist Party
Date: 6 October 2025
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Regional Imbalance
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5157214

Text

The DUP wants all of Northern Ireland to succeed. We want every part of our country from east to west to thrive within the United Kingdom. We committed to addressing the challenges of regional imbalance in 'New Decade, New Approach' (NDNA), and we remain in support of that commitment. Of course, the focus to date has been on the Foyle constituency, but I recognise that regional imbalance goes well beyond that area, and my colleague, Maurice Bradley, will speak to that fact. I hope to address a number of points in the motion as best I can. First, there is the resignation of a member of the Invest NI board. Kieran Kennedy was appointed by the then DUP Minister, Diane Dodds. At the time, it was argued that he was a champion for the north-west and had a track record of growing a local company into a huge success. Of course, we wish Mr Kennedy well and thank him for his time on the board, but we recognise that the board is much bigger than one individual. We need to work with the board members who continue to do good work, and we should not use the resignation of a board member for our political purposes. The motion states that recent Executive decisions appear to have paid little regard to the need for regional balance, and the football fund was mentioned specifically. Of course, I am on record about the disappointment of clubs, such as Institute Football Club in the north-west, but the fund was not based on geography; it was based on other criteria. Therefore, rather than being a politician who moans and complains about it, I sought meetings with the Minister, officials and the council to bring about a resolution and further investment for the north-west. Increasingly, over the past number of months, it appears that the SDLP is allergic to positivity. DUP Ministers and the Executive have been delivering for the north-west, and that is clearly recognised by business representatives and those involved in leadership. Let us take some time to look at the delivery over the past 12 months. There was the Derry-Londonderry North Atlantic (DNA) Museum, a £15 million investment supported by DUP Ministers. The SDLP attended the launch and welcomed the project, but there is no recognition of that today. The north-west regeneration fund is a £10 million fund announced by the DUP Minister, Gordon Lyons, to deliver key projects, such as the regeneration of Austins in the city centre. Again, that was welcomed by the SDLP, but there has been no delivery other than that from our party. The creation of 270 new jobs in Londonderry through the Department for Communities: again, that is a DUP Minister delivering for our constituency. There have been significant public realm works, again brought forward by DFC, and thousands of pounds of investment in Londonderry's city centre. Again, that was welcomed by the SDLP, but no credit has been given to the DUP Minister. Millions of pounds have been spent through Urban Villages, an initiative brought forward by the now deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, when she was in the Executive Office. There has been £300 million in city deal funding for Londonderry and Strabane, again delivered through DUP MPs. There has been £20 million of towns funding for Londonderry and Coleraine that was, again, delivered through DUP MPs. The SDLP is playing politics for politics' sake. The party's negativity does not reflect the work to address regional imbalance; in fact, in areas where the SDLP has power, such as the council, it has failed. The SDLP's MP has disappeared: he has failed. When opportunities come forward from the defence sector, the party opposes them. It is a party that has lost its way and lost credibility on those issues. I support the Minister for the Economy in bringing forward the subregional plan. We need to see progress on that, and we will hold her to account, but to play politics with it is downright shameful, and nobody is buying into it.

675 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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