We Deserve Better Protest Sunday 13th October 2019

We joined our fellow citizens today marching in solidarity, to mark the 1000 days that our local politicians have not functioned in our devolved government at Stormont. 

We lined the Stormont driveway with protestors so passionate, that they came out in force, though it was raining.

The crowd was representative of a silent majority across Northern Ireland simply "fed up" with the excuses, the stubbornness and the reluctance of our local politicians to come together to talk!

There were chants and calls to stop their pay, as over £1,00,000 has been spent on salaries of our elected representatives in the 1000 days.

One of the #WeDeserveBetter rally songs encapuslates the mood, (sung to the tune of John Brown's body):

Verse 1

All Stormont politicians need to go to work

They are resting on their laurels while the country goes beserk

Education, hospitals, their duties, they have shirked

And still we pay their wage

Chorus

Grow up, behave yourself and start to do your jobs

Grow up, behave yourself and start to do your jobs

Grow up, behave yourself and start to do your jobs

You're paid to go to work

Verse 2

NI Assembly is an absolute disgrace

It surely is a wonder how they dare to show their face

In any other business they'd be sacked without a trace

And still we pay their wage"

The rest of this article is a citation from BelfastLive:

"Many held placards and banners demanding better services for health and education.

The sister of murdered journalist Lyra McKee spoke at the rally and condemned politicans.

Nichola Corner says "the current Stormont stalemate is an insult to her sister's memory".

Detectives believe New IRA dissident republicans were responsible for shooting the 29-year-old writer while she observed a riot.

Speaking at this protest Ms Corner said her family believed after her sister's much-publicised death and funeral, that the politicians in Northern Ireland would make a concerted effort to restore devolution.

"It seems to us, Lyra's family, that Lyra's death wasn't enough for them, what is it going to take?," she said.

"Are they waiting on another Omagh? Another Shankill? Another murder? If our Lyra's death wasn't enough to get them back to work, I don't know what will. Maybe a reduction in salary wouldn't go amiss.

"Our elected politicians continue to let their differences be barriers to progress, peace and change and transformed the word concession into a dirty word and use it to refuse to honour the will of the people and work together and blame each other for their own failure.

Stormont has been in cold storage for more than two and a half years due to a stand-off between Sinn Fein and the DUP on issues such as Irish language legislation and a ban on same-sex marriage.

Northern Ireland's elected MLAs continue to be paid their salaries, as well as expenses, a fact that protesters say is hypocritical while funding for public services is held up by the lack of an executive.

Many made speeches about how the lack of functioning government affected their lives, from schools to healthcare.

Many booed and jeered at the mention of the main political parties, and the names of leaders Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster.

Hopes for a new set of talks were sparked following the funeral of Ms McKee in April, although talks are ongoing, nothing substantial is expected any time soon.

Speaking to PA Media at the protest, Stephen Farry, Alliance Party deputy leader said that he wanted the Assembly back to focus on rights issues.

"The Assembly has to be here, not for the sake of it, but to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland," he said.

"We're here because we're frustrated over the lack of assembly and the damage that has been done to our public services and our economy.

"We need to get back to doing the full job of what we were elected to do."

Changes to Northern Ireland's abortion and gay marriage laws are set to be implemented after October 21, when Westminster has ruled that Northern Ireland's abortion laws are to be relaxed, if the Executive is not restored by that date.

(BelfastLive).

#We deserve better!