“I think preference should be given to people from Northern Ireland..”

Previously Sinn Féin argued that some migrant workers were the wrong sort of Catholics for the purposes of monitoring workforce equality. Now the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, MP, MLA, Northern Ireland Environment Minister, is arguing that they should be discriminated against in favour of “people from Northern Ireland.” Below the fold his party colleague, Jeffrey Donaldson, MP, MLA, NI junior Minister, chips in to claim that “I think Sammy has a fair point.. we’re not talking about discrimination, we’re talking about economic reality.” Except that, as Kevin Sharkey notes at the end of this clip – his full report on the NI economy is here – the Equality Commission has pointed out that discrimination on the basis of race or nationality is unlawful. And doesn’t the NI junior Minister’s brief cover equality issues? Or is that the wrong sort of equality.. Of course within the EU freedom of movement of goods, persons [including workers], services, and capital are fundamental to the common market. Or, as the European Commission website puts it, “Every citizen of the EU has the right to work and live in another Member State without being discriminated against on grounds of nationality.”
NI junior Minister, the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson, backs his party colleague, Sammy Wilson.

Pete Baker