News

Chamber calls for Jonathan Bell's Brexit comments to be struck from Stormont record

NI Chamber says Jonathan Bell was wrong to tell the assembly its members were in favour of EU withdrawal
NI Chamber says Jonathan Bell was wrong to tell the assembly its members were in favour of EU withdrawal NI Chamber says Jonathan Bell was wrong to tell the assembly its members were in favour of EU withdrawal

ONE of the north's leading business bodies has called for a DUP minister's remarks about the EU referendum to be struck from the Stormont record.

The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry believes economy minister Jonathan Bell's comments earlier this week about its members' being pro-Brexit are wrong.

In his last assembly question time as an executive minister on Monday, Mr Bell claimed the majority of the chamber's members were in support of leaving the EU.

He was responding to Ulster Unionist MLA Alastair Patterson who asked if following discussions with business groups Mr Bell was able to reflect their views on EU membership.

In his response, Mr Bell said he had met a number of business bodies and had spoke recently to NI Chamber chief executive Ann McGregor at a function in Bushmills.

"Interestingly, at that function Ann McGregor said that, on the basis of her conversations with members, the majority of members are for Vote Leave," he said.

But yesterday the chamber moved to correct Mr Bell's assertion and pointed to a recent survey which showed more than four-fifths of its members support continued EU membership.

The statement said surveys of business opinion would continue ahead of the June 23 referendum.

"We have asked that the reference is removed from Hansard," it said.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said: "It’s worrying that the minister with responsibility for business development is unaware of the view of 81 per cent of NI Chamber members that our interests are best served within Europe.

"If the minister has based his view on erroneous information then he should either reconsider his position or admit that, not for the first time, he is out of touch with the business community."