Sir Reg Empey: 'First ministers' should concentrate on improving their countries' economies rather than chasing the shadow of independence

We saw the spectacle last week of three ‘first ministers’, all paid for by the UK taxpayer, setting out their ambition for ‘independence’ for their respective parts of the United Kingdom.

If it were not so serious, it would be laughable. None of their respective home nations could afford to survive as independent states without a massive reduction in the living standards of the people they represent.

Between the three of them, their respective governments are collectively receiving close to £100 billion annually from the UK taxpayer when Barnett Formula allocations and Barnett consequentials are added to Annually Managed Expenditure. And this still does not take account of the costs of defence, foreign affairs and servicing the national debt.

To suggest to their supporters that such a situation is manageable or achievable is a deception. Health services free at the point of need, together with the massive comfort blanket of the welfare state, could not possibly be provided without substantial subsidy from London – and they know it.

But the joker in the pack was the presence of Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Féin president from Dublin.

Perhaps John Swinney MSP and Rhun ap Iorwerth MS have forgotten, or simply do not care to remember, that the party Ms McDonald leads spent years justifying the murderous campaign launched by the IRA against the people of the United Kingdom.

I would remind Mr Swinney that 63 Scottish soldiers were killed by IRA terrorists, with countless others wounded. On 10 March 1971, three off-duty Scottish soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Highland Fusiliers – brothers John and Joseph McCaig, aged 17 and 18 respectively, and Donald McCaughey, aged 23 – were lured to their deaths from a Belfast pub and shot.

Rhun ap Iorwerth might also care to remember that 32 Welsh soldiers were killed by the IRA. One example was Guardsman David Roberts, aged 25, of the Welsh Guards, who was killed by a remote-controlled device in South Armagh in November 1973.

Calls for independence are a massive self-indulgence in a world where danger lurks around every corner. It is about time they sobered up and concentrated on doing their level best to improve economic productivity and encourage business creation, rather than chasing the shadow of independence when none of them could stand on their own two feet.

I note the comments from the deputy first minister here, correctly pointing out that Ms O’Neill cannot speak as first minister. Ms Little-Pengelly goes on to complain about the fact that Michelle O’Neill is first minister and argues that unionists should rectify this.

I would remind Ms Little-Pengelly that Ms O’Neill is first minister because of the DUP’s actions at St Andrews in 2006. It was the DUP that promoted a change to the Belfast Agreement which, had the agreement remained as negotiated by the Ulster Unionist Party, would have resulted in a unionist first minister following the last assembly election.

It was the DUP who, for selfish reasons, promoted the change that has resulted in Sinn Féin holding the position of first minister. Another major strategic blunder.

Lord Reg Empey, Ulster Unionist peer