Trade NI meet with Shadow Chancellor

05 August 2019

Trade NI, Northern Ireland’s largest business coalition, representing Hospitality Ulster, Manufacturing NI and Retail NI, has today met with the Shadow Chancellor, Rt Hon John McDonnell MP, who is visiting Belfast.

Trade NI representatives Colin Neill, Glyn Roberts and Mary Meehan said:

“This was an excellent meeting with the Shadow Chancellor, covering Brexit, Business Rates, Infrastructure and other challenges facing our members. We outlined our ideas to reboot economic policy in Northern Ireland”.

“We made it very clear of the importance of getting an EU withdrawal deal and avoiding the damaging scenario of a no deal Brexit. Labour Party MPs have a key role in ensuring that Parliament does not allow the UK to crash out without a deal”.

“Trade NI also outlined our concerns over Business Rates, with Northern Ireland having the highest rates in the UK, and very few reliefs which businesses in other parts of the UK receive. Nor did we receive our fair share of the Future High Streets Fund, and we are also falling behind the rest of the UK in relation to infrastructure investment”.

“At our meeting we encouraged the Labour Party to publish its policy priorities for the Northern Ireland economy. Trade NI would be interested in engaging further with Shadow Ministers to help shape their policy”.

Colin Neill 07738354963

Glyn Roberts 07515710517

Mary Meehan 07976576517