DUP expresses disappointment that Ministry of Defence pulls out of jobs fair in Londonderry after complaints from Sinn Fein and SDLP
The DUP has expressed disappointment that the Ministry of Defence has pulled out of a jobs fair in Londonderry after complaints from Sinn Fein, the SDLP and independent councillors.
The MOD had initially registered to provide an Armed Forces recruitment stall for the event in the council-owned Foyle Arena leisure centre today. However it was confirmed yesterday that it would not provide a stall.
However Foyle DUP MLA Gary Middleton expressed his disappointment following the news.
He said: “It is deeply regrettable that political pressure from nationalist and republican councillors has resulted in the Army withdrawing from this event.
"The Army should be free to attend jobs fairs like any other employer, offering information to those who may wish to consider a career in the armed forces.
“This short-sightedness and outright bigotry are shameful. To deny people in my constituency the right to engage with a major employer is disgraceful and represents a complete failure of leadership from republican and nationalist parties, who spend hours virtue signalling on things they cannot control, yet only minutes on tackling the issues that really matter - unemployment, deprivation, and economic inactivity.
“The Army has served all of us, helping during the pandemic, defusing bombs left by terrorists, and defending freedoms across the globe. Their devotion stands in stark contrast to those seeking to drag us backwards.”