Northern Ireland politicians clash over health funding in TV debate – live | General election 2024
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Key events
Fourth question: The conflict between Israel and Gaza
Danny from Armagh asks the fourth question of tonight’s debate.
Fourth question: “Has taking sides in the Middle East conflict turned into another divisive form of identity politics, or do you think it’s in the national interest?”
Colm Eastwood says he went to Gaza 12 years ago and saw “the devastation caused to ordinary people … by the Israeli government.” He says he is “watching genocide unfold before his eyes.” He says he wants to be in the next parliament to stop the British government sending weapons and weapons components to Israel.
When asked if he will visit the White House next year if he becomes president of the United States Joe Biden is re-elected and the Israel-Gaza conflict continues, Sinn Fein Chris Hazard says his party “will continue to go wherever we need to go to be the voice of the Palestinian people where their voice needs to be heard.” Tara Mills says many Sinn Féin supporters were horrified by the party’s St Patrick’s Day visit to the White House.
Naomi Long responds by saying that even though she didn’t go to the White House festivities this year, she won’t discount “the value of that either.” She says she wants to see international law upheld.
Gavin Robinsonleader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), says he thinks it is wrong when political leaders talk about Israel-Gaza not to think about the anti-Semitism facing the Jewish community in Northern Ireland and around the world.
Robinson says there must be a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. He added: “What is happening now is a human tragedy. I see very clearly that there must be a ceasefire and the hostages must be returned to their families.
Robbie Butler says it’s a humanitarian disaster. He says dialogue is needed and there must be a two-state solution.
Naomi Long says that although good projects are funded, this would also be the case with European funding.
UUP Deputy Leader Robbie Butler says politicians should do Northern Ireland “work to carry this forward into a more prosperous future.”
In answer to the third question and on the prospect of a united Ireland, Colm Eastwood says “this to me is a very attractive proposition … This place is an economy basket.”
Leader of the DUP Gavin Robinson says he accepts this Northern Ireland is “chronically underfunded” by Westminster but says it benefits from “a slice of the world’s fifth largest economy”. He highlights the NHS, citing the costs associated with accessing things like healthcare “across the border”.
Naomi Long disagrees with Robinson’s view that increased funding is good for Northern Ireland. She says it’s a “pure disaster.”
As you may have noticed, we are experiencing a bit of a delay. The live debate has now ended. There will be a few more updates and then we’ll move on to the closing remarks of the five politicians.
Third question: The Union
Joel from Belfast asks the third question of the evening.
Question three: “All parties and the British government recognize that this place has historically been underfunded. So what’s the point of being part of the union?’
Naomi Long answer first. It, the Alliance party, does not sit on the fence and is “for a united community in Northern Ireland”. She says their priority is to “reunite the people of Northern Ireland”.
Long says her party “wants to be part of the conversation about constitutional change.” She says, “We’re open to those conversations, but what we’re not going to do is vote along ideologically motivated lines.”
Robbie Butlerdeputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), also ask Tara Mills where is the leader of his party tonight. He says Doug Beatty there were “other arrangements”.
Sinn Fein Chris Hazard is repeatedly set by Tara Mills where Michelle O’Neill it’s tonight Hazzard says she is busy with the campaign.
leader of the SDLP Colm Eastwood says it’s “very difficult” for the public to trust political leaders “when two of them aren’t even here.” He said during the UTV debate that two were also missing then. He says he “just doesn’t get it.”
“The first thing the politicians here tonight could do is commit not to bring down Stormont again, but they won’t,” Eastwood said.
Naomi Long disagreed with Robinson that progress had been made since the dissolution of the Assembly. She says there is no doubt that the collapse of the Assembly has “damaged our public services … and public trust”.
She says “this has damaged public trust because people now know that our Stormont as it stands today is no more stable than the day before it collapsed the last time”.
Question two: Trust in politics
The second question of the evening comes via Carmen from Belfast.
Question two: “How can leaders ask the public to trust them again after years of political collapse and controversy?”
Tara Mills turns to Gavin Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and says the DUP’s slogan of “making NI work” is a bit rich as the party suspends the government for two years. He says he doesn’t accept it and thinks it’s inappropriate for Mills to put it that way. The audience laughs at his answer.
“We’d rather the government didn’t come down at all and people recognize that this place is working properly and positively by consensus,” says Robinson. He added that the DUP wanted to “build on the good progress we have made” which “would not have been achieved without our position”.
Naomi Long says that every time the health minister tries to make progress, the parties put up placards opposing any changes or reforms to the health service. She says “we have a conditional health service, not a national health service in Northern Ireland”.
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