Derry needs to ‘talk up our strengths rather than talking down the place’ says MLA
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00:00 From a North West perspective, we have seen first hand where business and education leaders,
00:06 politicians and agencies working together can deliver real change on the ground. It
00:10 also means talking up our offering and our strengths rather than talking down the place
00:16 that we want to see prosper.
00:18 But the aim of these targets cannot just be to grow the economy, otherwise we are in danger
00:23 of continuing the perverse imbalances and inequalities that exist today, which allow
00:29 those areas that are doing well to do even better still, while those places like Derry
00:33 and the West will be allowed to fall further and further behind. The aim instead must be
00:39 to grow and rebalance the economy, to end the postcode lottery of jobs, opportunity
00:45 and investment.
00:46 If I was an investor sitting here today, I would want to hear the positives. I want to
00:52 hear the benefits that are coming from Derry, from the North West, from regions right across
00:57 the North. I am proud to be from Derry. I am proud to call that place home. I think
01:01 it is a fantastic place to live in, to work in and to build a life in.
01:06 I concur with the comments of my colleague Mr Middleton. I think we need to start talking
01:11 up areas like Derry. I think we need to start making sure that areas across the North are
01:16 actually spoken about positively in this place, that we are talking up the positivity there,
01:21 the people there and the place.
01:23 I agree with my constituency colleague Mr De Largay on the need for positivity, but
01:29 there is also, and always will be, a need for honesty. Derry has been failed and we
01:36 want to fix that. I welcome any prospective investors watching this to come and play their
01:43 part in an exciting new chapter for our constituency.