--- election_year: 2001 party_id: dup party_name: Democratic Unionist Party party_leader: Ian Paisley political_spectrum: right victory: false government_outcome: opposition sections: - economy - taxation - health - education - housing - defence - foreign-policy - environment - transport - law-and-order - welfare - democracy-and-constitution - agriculture - energy - local-government --- # Democratic Unionist Party Manifesto 2001 ## DUP: Leadership to Put Things Right! ### Parliamentary and District Council Election Manifesto 2001 **Published by the Ulster Democratic Unionist Party, 91 Dundela Avenue, Belfast, BT4 3BU** --- ## Foreword Dear Friend, Unionism has paid a heavy price for the UUP endorsement of the Republican Agenda being delivered through the Belfast Agreement. On each and every detail the DUP analysis of the deal has been proved accurate. The following were SUPPORTED by the UUP and OPPOSED by the DUP: - Terrorists in government - The RUC destroyed - Murderers released - Executive all-Ireland bodies set up The weakness, incompetence and poor judgement of the UUP leadership has brought us to the present crisis. This election gives us all an opportunity to stop the rot and start to put things right. In this booklet the DUP programme is set forth. This manifesto has a significance that the manifestos of other parties do not have. It will be the mandated blueprint to be pursued by my party. Unlike the UUP we do not dump our manifesto as soon as the polls close. You can trust the DUP to keep its pledges. Your Friend, **Ian R K Paisley, DUP Leader** --- ## Broken Pledges of UUP Reward IRA/Sinn Fein The broken pledges of Tony Blair and David Trimble have allowed IRA/Sinn Fein to reap all the benefits of the appeasement process without giving anything in return – not even the decommissioning of a single bullet. IRA/Sinn Fein Ministers were placed in government and given control of half of the Northern Ireland budget courtesy of Mr Trimble and the UUP. In past elections the UUP has falsely said: "No guns – no government!" and "No hand in of guns – no hand in government!" These Trimble pledges, like so many UUP manifesto promises, lie broken and dishonoured. The UUP Leadership simply can't be trusted any more. Without the handing in of illegal weaponry and the dismantling of the IRA terror machine, IRA/Sinn Fein must be kept out of government. It's time to send the message that the corruption of democracy must end. Only a vote for the DUP will signal the clear determination of the unionist people for no more concessions to the IRA and no more rewards for IRA/Sinn Fein. ## UUP Forces Ratepayers to Pay for All-Ireland Government Under the Belfast Agreement all-Ireland bodies with Executive powers have been set up with unionists in a permanent minority. The despised institutions of the Anglo Irish Agreement have been extended and enhanced as the result of the cave-in of the UUP. The range and powers of the all-Ireland bodies are being already being increased. An embryo united Ireland government is being set in place in which UUP Ministers are playing an active role. So enthusiastic are these Ministers that they and their UUP colleagues voted for a 7% increase in your Rates rather than cut spending on the all-Ireland bodies! ## Republicans Want Trimble to Win At last you have a chance to stop the rot and put things right. The current process of appeasement to republicanism continues because government is able, by the acquiescence of Trimble and his team, to perpetuate the myth that it has the consent of both nationalists and unionists. This election gives you the chance to say that concessions must end and to demand a new way forward based on the consent of the unionist people. A vote for the Trimble-led UUP will be taken as a green light for a further raft of concessions. Nationalist and republicans want you to vote for the UUP to bolster their position. Don't let them win. The UUP is trying to cut deals and make pacts with age-old enemies of unionism. That's how desperate they are. A vote for the DUP will be taken for strong leadership to halt the concessions. You have the opportunity to vote for a better way forward. --- ## DUP – United and Strong All the DUP candidates are united in their unanimous support for this manifesto. The UUP is divided and split even on the fundamental terms of their party platform. As a united and committed party, only the DUP can deliver the full time vigorous and principled representation you deserve. Others are so badly divided they cannot even unite themselves, never mind the unionist people. Unity is strength. The DUP has no division or dissension to distract from the vital task of defending and promoting your interests. We will continue to work with like-minded unionists to make progress on the constitutional issues. ## Working for Your Benefit as Promised! Consistent with our electoral pledges the DUP has energetically fought to improve the living conditions of individuals, families and communities in Councils, the Assembly, its Committees and in Parliament. At the same time we have maintained our resolute opposition to IRA/Sinn Fein refusing – unlike the UUP – to give credibility or legitimacy to representatives of armed terrorism. On the ground the DUP is in touch with local opinion, listening and responsive to the unionist community's needs and interests. The DUP constituency help and advice service is second to none. We want to make it even better. Help us to maintain and improve that level of service on your behalf by voting for your DUP candidate. ## British Symbols and Identity Under Constant Attack Day by day our British heritage and way of life is under attack. The symbols of the State, including even the National Flag and the image of Her Majesty, are being torn down. Everything Gaelic, republican and Irish is promoted while everything British, unionist or Orange is derided and reviled. Traditional parades are banned and the Union Flag can no longer fly on most days from government buildings. The Agreement is being used to undermine every expression of British identity. If allowed to continue the Britishness of Northern Ireland will be totally submerged. Don't let it happen! ## RUC Disbanded – IRA Maintained! Because of UUP support for the Belfast Agreement, the RUC is being destroyed. Yet the IRA remains intact, still carries out violence, and is continuing to import even more arms. The Patten Report flowed directly from the Belfast Agreement which set out the remit and parameters of the Patten Commission. Indeed leading UUP spokesmen welcomed Patten's Commission and falsely assured us the RUC had been saved! The disgraceful treatment of the RUC, including the plan to remove the title and emblems of the force, is being done at the behest of a republican movement which has not gone away. Increasing violence necessitates the retention of our security forces to protect society. Trimble unionists have destroyed the RUC. This is your chance to reject those who have failed the RUC and demand its retention, not destruction. ## Terrorists Rejoice as Victims Are Forgotten Victims of terrorism endure a life sentence of grief and pain yet terrorists walk out of jail early. Remember how we were told that terrorists would stay in prison unless violence was over for good? UUP assent to the release of unrepentant terrorists on to our streets has not resulted in any reciprocation from the IRA. They simply demand more concessions. Violence is still prevalent with paramilitary organisations which have benefited from the UUP's broken promises continuing to engage in murder, intimidation and drug dealing. Families and representatives of victims struggle in financial hardship, especially relatives bereaved in the early days of the violence. Yet ex terrorists groups are given large amounts of public money. The perpetrators of violence are lavished with media and political adulation whilst victims and the innocent are forgotten and ignored. The implementation of the Agreement in this way has caused moral standards to be lowered to appease the insatiable republican movement. This is your opportunity to put things right. --- ## DUP Rates Best The DUP has the best record for keeping your Rates down at both District Council level and has tried through its votes in the Assembly to bring down the Regional rate increase to the rate of inflation. Other parties have been profligate with your money hiking up the Rates without delivering the services you need and deserve. By contrast the DUP has managed to keep District Rate levels down whilst still maintaining excellent levels of public services. Rates are lowest where the DUP has control. The UUP, SDLP and other parties all voted to increase your Regional Rate by a massive 7% – nearly 3 times the rate of inflation. The DUP called for that rise to be reduced to the rate of inflation by cutting the spending on all-Ireland bodies. However, the UUP and the others, preferred to maintain the all-Ireland aspects of the Belfast Agreement rather than reduce the financial pressure on working families. This is despite these same parties having criticised Direct Rule Ministers for imposing the same level of Rates increases in the past. ## Human Rights and Equality – for Unionists as well! Issues of equality and human rights have been largely hijacked by those engaged in or sympathetic to republicanism. We believe that unionism must demand and exercise its rights and use the system created to its own benefit. Standing on the sidelines will not produce any advance for our just cause. The current make-up of the Human Rights Commission is a denial of the rights of a large section of unionism which is totally unrepresented. Discrimination in the appointment of the Commission against those opposed to the Belfast Agreement means unionists can have little confidence in its impartiality. The scandalous denial of civil, religious and human rights to the Loyal Orders throughout Northern Ireland, and particularly exemplified by the stand-off at Drumcree, must be ended. The Parades Commission has demonstrated that it is not prepared to acknowledge and respect the basic human right of freedom of assembly and procession but is willing instead to acquiesce in the face of threats of violence from republican-infiltrated agitators. The Parades Commission must be wound up. We believe in real and meaningful equality for women and ethnic minorities. We hold that this principle should be built into mainstream government policies and not relegated to token programmes or projects. In this way the problem of discrimination can be effectively and resolutely tackled. --- ## Massive Crime Increase Requires Zero Tolerance The release of terrorists from jail and the rewarding of evildoers has sent a message that crime pays. This will be a lasting legacy of Trimble's Belfast Agreement. At every level in our society disrespect for law and the enforcers of the law is dramatically increasing. Drug dealing, racketeering, burglaries and violent attacks including those on senior citizens are now commonplace. Gangs of youths, in some areas, terrorise decent residents and a demoralised police force is unable to provide the protection that people need and are entitled to expect. With a raft of 'Human Rights' legislation and regulations governing the action that can be taken against wrongdoers society will increasingly become more vulnerable. In other communities, people, who like ourselves, find it unacceptable that law-abiding and peace-loving citizens are held to ransom by lawbreakers, forced the introduction of tougher powers for policing. In New York the policy of Zero Tolerance made a dramatic change and similar results have been seen elsewhere. Unless the gloves are taken off our society will be the prisoners and the lawbreakers will be in control. --- ## DUP – The Farmer's Proven Champion The DUP has always championed the farmer's case and consistently fought for a fair deal for our farmers in Europe, at national level and locally. We believe our farmers are entitled to fair economic rewards and incentives. Northern Ireland farm produce must be promoted across Europe whilst our industry must be defended against unethical European competitors. There should be fair rewards for the producer and fair prices for the consumer. There must be no question of farmers or consumers being exploited with profits going mainly to middle-men. The Foot and Mouth epidemic has shown up short-comings in some current arrangements particularly in relation to smuggling and fraud. These must be tackled with the utmost urgency. All sectors of agriculture are suffering terribly at the present time and urgent action is needed on a range of issues. We seek: - The lifting of the EU beef export ban. - Fair distribution of milk quota. - Fair labelling policies which are accurate and competent without being burdensome. - Accurate targeting of financial and social help in the rural community. - The inclusion of the farming community in the Rural development programmes. - Equal treatment under the Leader2 programme. - A grant system to assist with farm equity development. - A centralised economic strategy which permits flexibility with banks during times of crisis. - The delivery of the Pig outgoers scheme and the adequate assistance and guidance to those who require it. - The establishment of a Young Entrants and Farming Retirement Scheme. - A Farmland Planning Easement Scheme in order to achieve development of rural land and permit farm families to live in the countryside. ## Fishing Communities Must Not Be Cast Adrift The DUP is committed to having the fishing industry elevated within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. For too long fishing has been the poor relation. The retention of our fishing fleet with adequate and substantial funding to keep the industry viable is essential. The right to fish is a core issue as far the DUP is concerned. A strategy worked up with the fishing industry should include appropriate mechanisms to devolve decision making down to a local level and ensure accountability. Our fishing industry produces a top quality product and there is clearly room for development through further processing. Help for the fish processors will create more employment and prosperity not only for the fishing villages but also for the economy of the Province as a whole. The DUP is working for the provision of a decommissioning scheme that makes it cost effective for those fishermen who wish to leave the industry to do so. We are also campaigning for adequate compensation for fishermen who are forced to "tie up" their vessels because of EU regulations and are therefore unable to make a living at certain times of the year. --- ## Fairness and Quality in Education – Not Republican Bias The DUP believes that the present IRA/Sinn Fein Minister has abused his position in the allocation of funding across sectors of education in Northern Ireland. Irish Medium and integrated schools are to be treated differently than state controlled schools. The Minister's favourite schools are to be permitted funding once the yearly intake reaches 12 pupils while controlled schools face the chop when they fall below 100 pupils. The DUP has used the Assembly to challenge this political use of public resources. On Capital spending the picture is the same. In his first year as Minister Martin McGuinness spent £41.3m on schools used mostly by Roman Catholics as opposed to £13.7m for schools used mostly by Protestants. In the current year the ratio was 2:1 in favour of Roman Catholic schools and most of the money has been spent in constituencies being targeted by IRA/Sinn Fein at the next election. The DUP has challenged this blatant discrimination through questions, motions and the Education Committee. The DUP believes in the need to raise school standards. There is a necessity to ensure that the resources spent on education are used to their full potential and that young people are given the best educational start in life. - The performance of schools should be measured and made publicly known. - Schools should be given equal funding regardless of which sector the schools serve. - Early years are important since many of the problems of underachievement stem from the first years in primary school. We believe there needs to be a radical relook at the curriculum for early years and support programmes for those families which experience educational disadvantage. - Resources and policies to deal with disruptive children must be continually assessed to see that they are being effective. Parents of disruptive children should be made more accountable for the actions of their offspring even to the extent of involving them directly in the school. - Small rural schools should be given support to enable them to deliver the whole curriculum. The DUP has been successful in persuading the department to skew recent money made available by the Chancellor to small schools. - The Review of Post Primary Education, as set up, appears to be driven more by the ideological demands of the minister than by a desire to see improved education provision in Northern Ireland. The DUP believes that selection is inevitable given the distribution of schools and the perceptions which parents and children have of various schools across Northern Ireland. We do not accept that selection should be based on economic or social grounds. In looking at the most appropriate school for a child, it is educational ability and aptitudes which should be the deciding factor. Since the present transfer tests are flawed we see selection being based on in-school, though externally set, tests over the last two years of primary school. The experience of teachers should also be used to guide parents in their post primary decisions. There should be specialist schools at post primary level catering for different educational abilities, with sufficient differences in the curriculum to allow for those differences and with the potential for children to move between schools if educational choices and needs change. As far as nursery education is concerned the present method of allocating nursery places discriminates against parents who are working. Many of these parents are in low paid jobs and the absence of nursery school places is forcing them out of work. The DUP will continue to press for a change in the criterion to give working parents a fairer allocation of nursery places for their offspring. ## Extending Further and Higher Education to All The DUP believes in the basic right of everyone to have the opportunity of higher and further education if they so wish. Promoting improved access and establishing affordability are the key principles underpinning our approach. Higher and further education is the medium for life long learning offering new opportunities and options which are vital in the development of a knowledge based economy. It is essential that higher and further education is structured and funded to provide the capacity to cope with change and create the ability to re-skill to meet the needs of a changing work environment. Enhancing and enlarging this sector and tailoring the programme of education to meet the modern skill requirements and labour demands is an imperative. We are committed to the improvement in standards of adult literacy and numeracy. We believe in: - The abolition of full time undergraduate tuition costs. - The introduction of means tested non-repayable grants for the socially disadvantaged. - A means tested discretionary loan system providing low cost student loans especially in our rural communities. - A one-stop shop to deal with student administration. - An increase in the number of third level education places in Northern Ireland. - The establishment of a NI Ireland Student Endowment Fund and a co-ordinated approach to encourage business, industry and all government departments to contribute to that Fund. - Better co-ordination between further education and industry is essential as is the tailoring of further education courses to meet the demands of the labour market. - Improved linkages between Schools Careers advice and industry. - Consolidation and improvement of vocational and basic skills. - Development of the modern apprenticeship scheme. --- ## Preserving Our Environment The DUP supports a waste management strategy which will substantially reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. We have been to the fore in seeking greater protection of Areas of Special Scientific Interest and endangered species, birds and animals. The DUP has through the Chairmanship of the Assembly's Environment Committee brought about an investigation into the safety of public transport for children travelling to and from school. We have also been successful in lobbying for more Road Safety Education Officers. --- ## Equality for People with Disabilities People with disabilities must have their rights recognised and enshrined in the new Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland. We are committed to ensuring that the rights and needs of people with disabilities are respected and upheld by law if necessary. No one should be left isolated or marginalised simply because of their disability. 1 in 6 of our population has some form of disability and their rights must be protected and discrimination totally eradicated. Progress has been made but much more still remains to be done. It is unacceptable that 70% of people with disabilities are living on or near the poverty line and that these people are 3 times more likely to be unemployed than their non-disabled counterparts. It is essential that people with disabilities gain proper access to housing, transport and the physical environment. --- ## Meeting Housing Need and Waging War on Poverty The DUP is committed to tackling disadvantage and building communities. In the areas of housing, urban regeneration and through partnership with the community and voluntary sector we are determined to bring about improvements to the lives of ordinary people. - Under DUP Ministers a number of major successes have been achieved. We stopped the practice of imposing year on year Housing Executive rent increases above the rate of inflation. We gave the go ahead for a massive redevelopment scheme for Belfast expected to create around 3,000 jobs. We also secured £8.6 million of funding to promote the physical and economic regeneration of inner north Belfast as well as the development of a comprehensive strategy aimed at tackling the chronic housing needs in north Belfast. - By providing further help to the elderly through increases in the Winter Fuel Allowance and the announcement of a new Warm Homes Scheme we set out to assist the elderly in particular. - We have also secured the passage of new street trading legislation to combat illegal trading. - The DUP is committed to tackling the high levels of unfitness especially in our rural communities. - We are committed to new legislation to combat anti-social behaviour as well as fighting to ensure that housing in Northern Ireland continues to benefit from the current high level of investment. - The DUP will continue to work to ensure that decent, affordable housing is something that can be enjoyed by all our citizens. - We have set in train new strategies for urban regeneration in our towns and cities throughout the Province through the development of new and innovative partnerships that can take a more holistic view in assessing problems and developing solutions. - We are totally committed to ensuring that urgent action is taken to strengthen areas of weak community infrastructure, particularly in unionist areas. ## Protecting All Our Children We lobbied successfully for the creation of a Children's Commissioner. The DUP Chairman of the Committee of the Centre at Stormont has instigated an enquiry into the creation of this post to ensure that the process is completed as quickly as possible. It is essential that the powers of the new Commissioner are sufficient to meet the demand for the protection and advancement of the rights of children in our modern society. --- ## DUP Delivers for Our Senior Citizens – but battle is not over The DUP alone promised to bring in free fares for senior citizens on public transport and we alone are delivering on that promise. We will continue to help our older people. There needs to be a more coherent and cohesive approach to issues involving older people. Our senior citizens are to be valued and respected for the contribution they have made in the past and for the continuing role they can play. Senior citizens are entitled to live with dignity and in comfort. They should not have to rely on benefits or be denied access to adequate health and social services. The DUP will continue to work for: - Decent levels of income for all senior citizens with the link to average earnings for the state pension to be re-instated. - The State Pension to be free of tax in all circumstances. - A minimum income standard for all pensioner households as recommended by the Social Security Select Committee. - Special support for the over 80s with an increase in the basic pension for this group. - The maintenance of the Winter Fuel Allowance. - Access to good quality affordable housing with security and freedom from fear of crime. - TV licences to be free to all senior citizens and not just those over 75. - The abolition of standing charges for electricity and telephones. - Free NHS spectacles and dental treatment. --- ## Promoting Ulster's Cultural, Artistic and Sporting Heritage - The DUP supports the promotion of Ulster Scots language, history and culture. There has been too much focus on Gaelic culture. That must be redressed urgently. We aim to ensure appropriate funding is made available for the Ulster-Scots language and that a major drive is made to promote it. We will continue to campaign for parity and equality. - We support changes to access to the Arts so that everyone can feel they can participate and enjoy good art. Art must be open and accessible to people from all spheres of life. - The Northern Ireland Film Commission can deliver jobs and money to the Province. - We support the bid to have Belfast declared a European City of Culture. - On sport, the DUP believes there is vast room for improvement to sports grounds in the Province at all levels. - We are committed to road racing and its continuation as a competitive sport. The safety measures being proposed and supported by the road racing fraternity must be implemented. - We support the restructuring of football in Northern Ireland and call for the introduction of one administrative body to oversee all levels of the game with greater input from spectators. - The rivers and lakes of Northern Ireland offer tremendous sporting opportunities to anglers from here and further afield. A management restructuring is long overdue to stabilise salmon stocks and deliver on the tourism potential that exists. Government departments need to play their part in monitoring and restoring the habitat of our rivers and lakes. --- ## A Healthy Society – a First Priority Since IRA/Sinn Fein took control of our health service under the terms of the Belfast Agreement there has been one review after another. This must end. We need a workable health service plan consisting of primary care, area hospitals and regional hospitals. - The DUP is committed to proper access to health services for people in rural areas. In the south west there should be a further hospital with acute services. Downe should also be given Acute services and the Braid an A&E Unit. - The Department itself should be downsized and Boards and Trusts amalgamated as appropriate. Priority should be given to developing local services rather than grandiose and expensive cross border services. - There should be a robust financial structure for the NHS with the removal of the need for annual emergency monies and the elimination of double counting. Trust deficits must be tackled urgently. - There should be a commitment to no more unnecessary changes to the NHS for at least 10 years and an end to underfunding of cardiac services and the development of an action plan for cardiology services. The full implementation of the cancer strategy is essential. - The reduction in increases in waiting lists which now stands at about 50,000 and a corresponding reduction in waiting times are a priority, as are adequate numbers of Consultants in each speciality and sufficient numbers of Occupational Therapists. - Private health care should be developed to complement the NHS not as a competitor to it or at its expense. There should be contractual arrangements with private nursing homes to alleviate bed blocking. - Prescription fraud which costs over £10 million per year must be ended. - The DUP has taken the lead in the Assembly in seeking adequate provision for the long term care of our elderly. There should be a repeal of the law which expects the married partners who have sufficient resources to make a voluntary contribution towards the cost of the spouse's care in residential accommodation. - A great source of grievance has been the maternity crisis brought about by the wrong and unnecessary closure of the Jubilee. This decision is the clearest demonstration of the mismanagement of the health service by a politically motivated IRA/Sinn Fein Minister. --- ## Tackling Transport and Developing a Better Province The DUP has used its Ministerial position to make improvements to our public transport. The DUP alone has won free fares for older people from October this year allowing free transport across the Province on buses and trains. At the end of the first year of operation we will be looking at ways to extend and expand the provision of free fares. - We have saved the railways. Under Direct Rule the railways in Northern Ireland were set to close. We have now secured funding to deliver 23 new trains and upgrading the most used lines. - On roads DUP Ministers have created a major works preparation pool to ensure that as soon as funding becomes available road schemes can be built as quickly as possible. - We have fought for and secured funding for significant capital expenditure on road schemes and launched a scheme to make traffic calming schemes quicker and easier to introduce. - We have launched a review into the issue of the salting of roads across Northern Ireland and listened to local people and where necessary and appropriate undertaken to change local traffic flow. - As far as our Water Service is concerned we have listened to the views of local people about the siting of facilities and secured funding for significant new facilities for the provision of safe clean water and the proper treatment of waste water. - The DUP Minister is extending powers for trust ports in Northern Ireland to allow them to compete with ports in the Republic of Ireland and be more competitive, and has secured the future of the Port of Belfast in the public sector, with greater powers to compete and be more accountable to the public. - With regard to Regional Development we are devising a framework for development in Northern Ireland for the next 25 years as well as a regional transport strategy. - Underfunding for the past thirty years has meant that our infrastructure in Northern Ireland has fallen behind. Whilst we have been successful in bidding for funds from the Northern Ireland block to deliver new roads, transport and water facilities, much more money is still needed. We will strive to deliver additional revenue and private sector expertise whilst retaining public control. --- ## The Way to Secure Jobs and Investment The DUP is committed to promoting economic development strategies which will enable Northern Ireland to compete in a rapidly changing global economy. We support policies which will build strong competitive industries to help transform the economy from one based not just on the manufacture of traditional goods but also high-tech, high value goods. The DUP believes that this policy will maximise the skills built up in the traditional sectors such as engineering and textiles. The excessive cost of electricity in Northern Ireland places local businesses at a huge disadvantage when compared with their competitors in GB. The DUP will support local businesses as they campaign to lessen this cost burden to companies both large and small. Many businesses, particularly small organisations, find the amount of legislation, its complexity, and the frequency of legislative change inhibits their ability to manage the business and make it grow. The DUP will support the business community as they seek to lessen the extent of the red tape that is constricting economic growth. We support the establishment of a single development agency which will incorporate the work presently undertaken by the IDB, LEDU and the IRTU. We will work to ensure that the new agency will be given the resources and independence it will need to attract inward investment from throughout the world. Within this new structure the DUP will encourage a strategy that continues to place emphasis on the development of small companies, particularly in the area of product research and development. The Northern Ireland economy has many existing successful SMEs that deserve to be supported and encouraged along with the development of an entrepreneurial ethos that will assure many more business start-ups. The DUP has already shown through its work within the Department of Regional Development that it is committed to the radical improvement to the infrastructure of the Province. The economic attractiveness of Northern Ireland to inward investors must be enhanced. Good communications are essential to the economic development of this part of the United Kingdom and the DUP will continue to give priority to investment in our roads and public transport. As the rest of the United Kingdom is the main market for Northern Ireland goods and services we will promote policies which will increase the promotion of the Province's products in GB. We will also continue to campaign against higher fuel duties, the Climate Change Levy and the Aggregates Tax which place the Province at a disadvantage when competing against companies based in the Irish Republic. The DUP will oppose any attempts to integrate the Northern Ireland economy with that of the Irish Republic for political purposes whilst encouraging companies to export goods and services south of the border. --- *For more information, contact:* *DUP Party Headquarters, 91 Dundela Avenue, Belfast BT4 3BU* *Telephone: (028) 9047 1155 | Fax: (028) 9047 1797* *Email: info@dup2win.com | Web: www.dup2win.com*