Northern Ireland budget will 'decimate public services', says Alliance Pary Leader Naomi Long

The upcoming local election is an opportunity for voters to express their views on the situation at Stormont, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has said.

Alliance launched their official manifesto for the 2023 local government election in Belfast on Thursday.

The party is running 110 candidates over all 11 council areas in Northern Ireland for the election taking place on Thursday May 18.

Ms Long said the council election was an opportunity for voters to express their opinion on the current deadlock in devolved government.

The Stormont Assembly is currently not functioning due to the DUP's ongoing protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

"This election also offers people the opportunity to send a clear message to those holding our political institutions at Stormont to ransom," she said.

"Every vote for Alliance on May 18 can also send a clear message that people deserve and demand a working assembly and executive.

"No more drama, just delivery."

Ms Long also said Alliance wanted to build on its record of delivery in local government.

"This is an opportunity for people to elect even more Alliance councillors, it will continue to build on that record of delivery and show politics can continue to deliver for them, their family and their neighbourhood," she said.

She added: "What it does is show the power of local government to shape places and improve the quality of life for residents and our key priorities for the term ahead."

Alliance is the third biggest party at Stormont and achieved 17 MLAs at the last Assembly election in May 2022.

At the last local election in 2019, Alliance increased their vote share to elect 53 councillors, with the only council with no representation from the party being Mid-Ulster.

Ms Long said Alliance had managed to increase their vote share during the last election when Stormont was not functioning, and that the electorate wanted to tell politicians to "get back to work".

"We need a local executive to stand up for the people who elected them," she said.

"People on the doors are rightly angry and frustrated, they are hurting.

"They're also clear that this cannot continue and they want reform of the institutions to ensure that no single party can ever collapse government again.

"But most of all, they want to tell those who will happily take their votes but deliver nothing in return, to get back to work.

"The last council election was also held at a time when our institutions were suspended, then people voted for Alliance in increased numbers to send a message to those who would rather distract and divide than deliver."

The Alliance manifesto includes plans for a Green New Deal for every council, improved transparency in funding, and "shared future-proofing" of new council decisions, by way of an analysis of whether a council policy harms or helps their stated goal of moving towards integration.

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