Focus should be on need, not 'them vs us': Long

12.00.00am GMT Mon 7th Feb 2005

Responding to the news that the Ulster Unionist Party has launched a new leaflet alleging discrimination against Unionists, East Belfast Alliance MLA, Naomi Long, has called for politicians to focus on building a shared future rather than re-rehearsing the old arguments of 'them versus us'.

Naomi Long stated:

"This is a return to the tired and failed politics of old. The rhetoric of 'them versus us' has never taken us anywhere in the past and will not in the future.

"It was only a few weeks ago that Sir Reg Empey was talking about the need for Ulster Unionists to work across the centre. Alliance didn't take them very seriously at the time as the UUP had spurned opportunities to do so in the past. Clearly, the UUP agenda is one of trying to outflank the DUP rather than working in partnership with others.

"We must get away from this notion of measuring how the distribution of resources impacts on Unionists and Nationalists, Protestants and Catholics. Rather, people should accept that resources should be directed to where there is most need, and to ensure that there is fairness across society as a whole.

"It is time that Northern Ireland moved to a shared future, and politicians adopted positions that are capable of uniting rather than dividing the community."