Northern Ireland Conservatives’ chairman, Irwin Armstrong, has hailed George Osborne’s decision to cut Air Passenger Duty for long haul flights, as “another example of a government which is listening to people in Northern Ireland and delivering for them”.
“Local Conservatives and the Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, have been flagging up this issue for some time. For people in Northern Ireland, flying is not a luxury. We’re surrounded by water. People need to fly in order to keep in touch with relatives and friends, while businesses need to fly just to operate at all. Our economy is entirely dependent upon air travel and we have a competitor in the Republic which has much lower aviation taxes.”
“By responding to our special circumstances and taking swift action, which will save our vital direct flight to the United States, this government has shown, yet again, how responsive it is to Northern Ireland’s needs. Conservative MPs have led on this issue in the House of Commons and the Chancellor has repeatedly shown willing to tackle the specific problems which it raises.”
“After thirteen years of Labour rule it may be a novel feeling, but we now have a government which is listening to people in Northern Ireland and delivering for them: driving efforts to grow the economy, reaching a favourable settlement with the block-grant, providing extra security funding, resolving the PMS crisis, saving the coastguard centre and now saving the flight to New York.”
“This is what responsive government looks like and it gives people here every incentive to get involved and take the opportunity to return Northern Ireland Conservative MPs, who can take part in government from 2015.”