Lord Empey has cautioned that Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness must take care not to show Northern Ireland as being divided on the economy during their trip to the United States this week.
Lord Empey said:
“While always wishing the First Ministers well on their US visit, care must be taken not to show Northern Ireland as divided on the economy.
“The First Ministers rightly emphasise the forthcoming reduction in corporation tax, which incidentally Ulster Unionists have been pushing for since 1983 and which we ensured was in David Cameron's 2010 manifesto. But the delay in bringing it into force has lessened its effectiveness as this tax is being lowered across the United Kingdom.
“But the elephant in the room in America is that the First Ministers disagree on our future place inside or outside the European Union. What are US business people to make of the joint leaders of an administration advocating totally different scenarios for investment?
“While both positions are perfectly legitimate, surely potential investors are entitled to ask what they might be getting involved in when Arlene Foster and Martin McGuiness are singing from different hymn sheets?”