MP says 'American money is welcome in Northern Ireland... but it shouldn't come as a bribe to re-start Stormont'

Jim Shannon was responding to the remarks of US special economic envoy Joe Kennedy, who said on Friday that a wave of new investment is poised for the Province, if only the devolved government would get up-and-running first.

The absence of one “is a factor, without question" in American directors’ considerations about setting up shop in Northern Ireland he said, with Mr Kennedy stressing they want to see "clarity around a political structure”.

This echoed earlier remarks by Joe Biden, who said during his visit to Ireland that “there are literally hundreds of American corporations ready to come and invest… but they’re cautious because the institutions are not in place”.

Mr Shannon said that despite these sentiments, “things haven't changed” as far as the DUP is concerned: it still objects to the Windsor Framework and does not want to implement it as part of a government.

Mr Shannon said: “We're always happy to work with any US person company wishing to invest in NI. But that should be happening without any conditions.

"I'm sure Joe Kennedy and the US administration would be happy to look towards investment opportunities without any strings attached.

"We're keen to cement the relationships we have with the US - relationships that go back generations. Seventeen presidents of the US were descended from ancestors who came from Northern Ireland is an indication of our significant historical, cultural, family, and business contacts.

"The real thing that must be done, and maybe Joe Kennedy can use his influence to do that, is to ensure the British government strengthen the constitution of NI in a way that's legally binding at Westminster, that means NI will not be a lesser part of the UK.”

As to whether the prospect of foreign capital flooding into NI amounts to a kind of “bribe” to go back into Stormont, Mr Shannon said: “Certainly it seems to be used as a bribe.

"The way I see it is if they're going to invest in Northern Ireland, they should do it because it's the right thing to do, and there should not be conditions.”