MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

PM Burnham addresses cost of living and young people priorities in first visit to Northern Ireland

Prime Minister Andy Burnham with Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly in Belfast

Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived Thursday in Northern Ireland as part of his summer tour of the United Kingdom, to discuss cost of living, young people priorities and an overall growth agenda. In Northern Ireland for the first time since becoming Prime Minister, Andy Burnham met with the First Minister, Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, and later with all five main parties.

Mr. Burnham said he was serious about finding common ground based on collaborative, practical and pragmatic relations with the Northern Ireland Executive to deliver for people across Northern Ireland. In Belfast the Prime Minister said he want to work in genuine partnership so that families in Northern Ireland have more hope and more room to breathe from cost-of-living pressures.

This comes as the Prime Minister announced earlier that he will convene the First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, and the First and deputy First Ministers of Northern Ireland in October, to discuss how to drive good growth in every postcode across the UK.

The Prime Minister also held meetings with Sinn Féin, The Democratic Unionist Party, The Alliance Party, The Ulster Unionist Party and The Social Democratic and Labour Party, where he reiterated government will take a problem-solving, not points-scoring approach, to deliver for people in Northern Ireland.

Before these engagements, the Prime Minister spent time in Belfast hearing from young people about the issues that impact their lives and their aspirations for the future. This will includes speaking with teenagers and staff involved in mentoring schemes within Belfast’s creative music scene - which seeks to elevate local artists and promote the city as a UNESCO City of Music.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said “People in Northern Ireland want more breathing space from the cost of living, good, well-paid jobs and opportunities for their children.

“Political point-scoring in the past has made this harder, not easier. We need to be better, so I want to work with the Northern Ireland Executive and the main political parties to try and make a real difference to communities here, and that’s the message I’m taking into my meetings”