Eastwood calls on British to stand by 10,000 Derry student commitment

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has called on the British government to recommit to bringing 10,000 students to Magee campus.

Questioning the British Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris, the Foyle MP said: “I’m glad to see that the Secretary of State is implementing some key parts of the New Decade New Approach agreement.

“Of course, there are other commitments within that agreement that haven’t been delivered, even by the previous Executive- when we actually had an Executive.

“One of those key commitments is to the people of Derry for 10,000 students at Magee University in that city.

“The Member for Skipton and Ripon (Former NISOS Julian Smith MP) agreed with me that we could have a medical school for Magee and that now has been delivered, but the real prize is a full-scale university for the people of Derry.

“Will he (the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) commit to getting that done?”

Speaking after the debate, Colum Eastwood MP said: “I made sure that the Derry medical school and the commitment from the British government for 10,000 students for Magee were in New Decade, New Approach.

“I want a commitment from the British government today that Derry gets what it deserves – a full-sized university with 10,000 students.”

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