SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood has said that Theresa May’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference is a clear response to the First and deputy First Minister’s weak letter on Brexit and a clear rejection of the principle of consent.
The Foyle MLA said:
“If Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster are still patiently and weakly waiting for a reply to that letter they sent in August – they just got their reply from Theresa May at the Conservative Party Conference.
“In her speech, the British Prime Minister spent a lot of time telling us why people in England voted to leave the EU. But It’s telling that she spent no time showing any interest or understanding of those us in Northern Ireland and Scotland who voted to remain in the European Union.
“This was a speech which again ignored our democratic choice. It again showed that the Tories are prepared to ignore the principle of consent. Theresa May throws out accusations about divisive nationalism. Her message is clear, she is accusing the 56% in Northern Ireland who voted to remain of being divisive.
“From this speech it is increasingly clear that the British Prime Minister has no intention of respecting the votes and values of people in Northern Ireland. She fails to understand that the people of Northern Ireland and Scotland have chosen a different future to the one chosen by those in England and Wales.
“And all the while, our First Minister has been sipping champagne in Theresa May’s shadow this week. By contrast, we’ve been pressing ahead with a legal challenge to the British Government’s narrow approach to Brexit. We are committed to defending the democratic will of people here.”
