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PeopleTranscript
00:00So you've just done your first speech to the party conference and you start as an MLA in Stormont on Monday. Are you excited?
00:09Yes, excited for what the future brings. It's a big step, but I'm very conscious that I'm following in the footsteps of many figures beforehand.
00:18Lord Elliot, Lord McGuinness, and of course my father, who represented from Amistad to Rome in Stormont.
00:25So it's a day of huge honour and I have immense pride representing from Amistad to Rome as their MP.
00:33And when you go into Stormont on Monday, will you be continuing on in the same roles as Tom Elliot or will you have a new brief?
00:40No, I'll be taking on the economy brief, so I'll be sitting on the committee for the economy.
00:45And that's something that really interests me because economy, job growth, skills development, and tourism are areas that I have been working very, very assiduously with from Aninoma District Council.
00:58That has been something I really wanted to push and promote.
01:01And are there any other areas of economy that are important for you as you go into that brief?
01:09Today we were covering the story on geomarket access, for example, and questions over how much it's delivering for Northern Ireland.
01:16Are those the kind of issues you'll scrutinise?
01:19I think we need to get the story straight on Brexit and what the hurdles are and what we're pursuing in terms of promoting and supporting the economy in Northern Ireland and the setbacks it has suffered under Brexit.
01:34The economy is still suffering from EU regulations currently operating and as a party we oppose the protocol and we will continue to review that as that goes forward.
01:47Wanting the best outcomes for the economy within Northern Ireland.
01:52Dual access, there remains to be scrutiny of those regulations and what that means for the economy within Northern Ireland.
02:00So I'll be looking forward to doing that.
02:02And how does it feel being the only woman in the Ulster Unionist Stormont team?
02:07Well, I'm not the first. There have been plenty of women beforehand. We have a number of women that I really look up to in regard to role models.
02:15Currently we also have a female party chair. I look up to those women who have gone before.
02:21And within the structure of the Ulster Unionist Party, as councillors, as supporters and activists, there are many women behind the scenes who do really important jobs.
02:29And when the opportunity arises, and I hope it does in future years, that there will be places for those women to step forward and to represent.