New UUP MLA Diana Armstrong says she will scrutinise the impact of EU regulations on the Northern Ireland economy

​Diana Armstrong will take up the brief when she replaces Lord Elliott as the party’s Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA on Monday – areas she says she’s already been working on in council.

Last week the economy minister Conor Murphy raised more questions about the so-called ‘dual market access’ under the Windsor Framework – after he claimed it would benefit Northern Ireland businesses.

But the new UUP MLA says the impact of the continuation of EU rules needs ongoing scrutiny.

Her predecessor, who now sits in the House of Lords, had headed up the agriculture scrutiny committee at Stormont.

​Mrs Armstrong told the News Letter “we need to get the story straight on Brexit” – and that the market is still “suffering from EU regulations”.

Speaking after addressing the party conference on Saturday, the new Fermanagh MLA was asked if she would be scrutinising issues such as dual market access in her new role on the economy committee.

“I think we need to get the story straight on Brexit – what the hurdles are and what we’re pursuing in terms of promoting and supporting the economy in Northern Ireland, and the setbacks it has suffered under Brexit.

“The market… the economy is still suffering from EU regulations currently operating.

“As a party we oppose the Protocol and we will continue to review that as it goes forward – wanting the best outcomes for the economy within Northern Ireland.

“Dual access – there remains to be scrutiny of those regulations and what that means for the economy within Northern Ireland, so I’ll be looking forward to doing that”, she said.

The UUP woman said moving to Stormont is “a big step” but that she’s very conscious that she’s following in the footsteps of those who went before her – Lord Elliott, Lord Maginnis and her father, former Ulster Unionist leader Harry West.

On her new role on the economy committee, she said “It’s something that really interests me, because economy, job growth, skills development and tourism are areas that I have been working on very very assiduously with Fermanagh and Omagh district council. That is something I really wanted to push and promote”.

Diana Armstrong is the only woman in the Ulster Unionist team, which had been all male until she replaced Tom Elliott.

“I’m not the first, there have been plenty of women beforehand. We have a number of women that I really look up to and regard as role models.

“Currently we have a female party chair. I look up to those women who have gone before. And within the structure of the Ulster Unionist Party – its councillors, supporters and activists – there are many women behind the scenes who do really important jobs.

“And when the opportunity arises, and I hope it does in future years, that there will be places for those women to step forward and to represent”.