DUP MLA says Caoimhe Archibald should 'start acting like a serious economy minister' after Stormont row on Israel stance

Jonathan Buckley’s comments come as the row over the Sinn Fein minister’s approach to the local defence sector continues at Stormont.

Ms Archibald says Invest NI – which falls under her department – must “eliminate any risk” that public money is used to “support the manufacture of arms or components that are used for genocide”. She says her policy sends a message “that we will have no part in supporting Israel’s genocide” in Gaza.

On Wednesday, MLAs on the economy committee voted to write to the economy minister seeking clarity on whether her actions fall within the competency of her department, and whether they are in line with the ministerial code.

In heated exchanges, the SDLP and SF MLAs opposed the move, but unionists and Alliance agreed to send a letter seeking clarity on the matter.

The issue was raised by Mr Buckley, who said the economy minister’s position is “economic self-sabotage”. He also questioned her upcoming attendance at an event related to trade with China.

“Is she instructing Invest NI firms to boycott Chinese medical or tech firms that are implicated in harvesting organs of prisoners… or is it just a Jewish state in Israel that the minister wants to target?”, the DUP MLA asked.

SF’s Emma Sheerin said that “we engage with other countries, that does not mean we endorse what they do”.

However, she argued that “in this particular circumstance we have businesses here who are producing items that are being used in the genocide...”.

Ulster Unionist Diana Armstrong said she felt “deeply uncomfortable” about the minister’s actions, and queried whether she had the power to introduce the policy, which she suggested was a reserved matter for the UK government.

​Alliance called for an ethical approach, with its MLA David Honeyford said the economy committee was not the “format for this to be raised”.

An official said that while trade is a reserved matter for the UK government, the furtherance of trade is a matter for Stormont. The committee agreed to write to the minister to seek clarity on whether the issue is devolved, and whether she had acted within the ministerial code.

This was opposed by Sinn Fein and the SDLP, with the latter’s Foyle MLA Sinead McLaughlin repeatedly asking for clarity on what the letter would say, despite it having been read out by the committee clerk on more than one occasion.

“I don’t know what’s going to be in the letter, because it’s really not that clear”, Ms McLaughlin said – claiming there had been “two or three things bandied about here”. Gary Middleton – chairing the meeting – said clarity had been given on a number of occasions and declined to have it repeated.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Buckley said the minister “should stop behaving like Sinn Féin’s foreign affairs spokesperson and start acting like a serious Economy Minister who wants to grow the NI economy”.