SDLP Youth Representative Peter Armstrong has voiced concerns to the European Socialist Youth Congress currently being held in Poland that our local MEPs are failing to represent Northern Ireland in Europe.

Speaking from Warsaw he said: “SDLP Youth have a unique opportunity to meet with political youth groups and MEPs this weekend at the ECOSY Congress in Warsaw.

“It strikes me that the SDLP are the only party representing the people of Northern Ireland at these events. Our local MEPs are opposed to the whole European project; they use Europe only for electoral gain, and completely forget about providing any kind of voice for Northern Ireland.

“All of Europe and further a field are watching news that the NI Assembly will finally move forward with a power-sharing partnership on May 8th. But European ministers won’t be discussing the news with our elected MEPs because they are absent from Brussels - not one of our 3 MEPs even managed to attend the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

“On the few occasions that they have attended the Parliament, Bairbre de Brun and Jim Allister have used it for point scoring on domestic issues – leaving the Europeans baffled and local people wondering why they were elected.”

SDLP Youth Representatives Noeleen Higgins and Peter Armstrong are attending the European Community Organisation of Socialist Youth (ECOSY) Congress in Warsaw, Poland.

Noeleen Higgins said: “This congress provides a unique moment for SDLP Youth and all member organizations to strengthen and advance our positions in Europe.

“The SDLP have always been a party for Europe and this position will not change as our youth group continues to work hard to develop and maintain strong links with our European colleagues.

“SDLP Youth are looking to the future with our social democratic friends in Europe and are ready to face the future challenges that an evolving Europe will bring.”

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ECOSY.org