Ulster Unionist Party Treasurer, Newtownabbey Councillor Mark Cosgrove, welcomes report of the Northern Ireland Affairs select committee on the Draft Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.   

Councillor Cosgrove said:

“The Ulster Unionist Party recognises the work undertaken by the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee on the draft legislation on funding and electoral issues and welcomes the publication of the recommendations of the Committee.

‘We are pleased that the Committee saw fit to link the issue of anonymity of political donors to the general level of risk to donors due to the on-going severe threat from republican terrorists and this backs up the concerns raised by our Party Leader in his evidence to the Committee. We also strongly welcome the recommendation to close the loophole whereby overseas donations can be made to parties in Northern Ireland via the Republic of Ireland as Sinn Fein have benefitted unfairly from this for too long.

‘The Ulster Unionist Party has been opposed to politicians holding dual mandates for a considerable time and whilst we support the position of the Committee on this issue, we are disappointed that it requires primary legislation from Westminster for others to follow our position. However, we do not see the need for this provision to extend to members of the House of Lords although we would expect a Lord to prioritise his or her commitment to the Assembly.

‘We are also mindful that the Committee has recognised that the Alliance Party is currently unjustly holding two Ministerial positions despite a much inferior electoral performance to other parties holding one Ministry. The Committee have quite rightly come to the conclusion that this needs to be addressed.'”