Ulster Young Unionists

Young Unionist chairman Jay Basra has called on Queen’s University Belfast to explain why the Order of Service for its Remembrance Sunday service on 8 November states that Orange collarettes are not to be worn. He says members of the Queen’s Orange Society and Queen’s LOL 1845 have worn their collarettes at previous services without issue. Jay Basra said: “The Order of Service for this year’s Remembrance Sunday service at Queen’s University Belfast explicitly states that ‘collarettes are not to be worn’. This was not the case in previous years. “This is despite members of the Queen’s Orange Society and Queen’s LOL 1845 having freely worn their collarettes at previous services of remembrance without issue. “I find this a deeply disappointing step backwards for inclusion and respect at Queen’s University Belfast. What has been perfectly acceptable for years has now seemingly become a problem, and I believe the University owes those affected an explanation, particularly as they appear to be the only group facing restrictions on what they wear. “Queen’s frequently prides itself on being an inclusive institution, welcoming and representing people from all backgrounds and traditions. Yet preventing members of the Orange Institution from wearing their collarettes while participating in a service of remembrance raises serious questions about how far that commitment to inclusion extends. “Remembrance should be an occasion that brings people together, irrespective of their background or tradition. There is no reason why members of the Orange Institution should be made to feel that their identity or traditions are unwelcome. “This decision only reinforces the perception among some unionist students that Queen’s remains a cold house for their community. I would urge the University to reconsider this restriction and explain why a practice permitted for years is suddenly deemed unacceptable. “I look forward to clarification from Queen’s University on the reasoning behind this decision, and to seeing this unnecessary restriction lifted.”

✍️Statement from Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA regarding the scenes at the Garvaghy Road.

Armstrong calls on Economy Minister to halt anti-jobs, anti-growth Good Jobs Bill as business sector sounds alarm Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader and Economy Spokesperson Diana Armstrong MLA has backed a major intervention from Northern Ireland's business community, calling on the Economy Minister to immediately halt the proposed Good Jobs Bill. Diana Armstrong MLA said: “Today’s intervention from Northern Ireland's business community is a powerful and timely wake up call. The Economy Minister must listen and act. The time to halt the Good Jobs Bill is now. This legislation is anti-jobs, anti-growth, and if pushed through in its current form, it will cause serious and lasting damage to our economy. From hospitality to agri-food, from small family enterprises to our world-leading tech sectors, businesses across Northern Ireland are united in their alarm. That cannot be ignored. “The Ulster Unionist Party will always champion good, high-quality jobs for everyone across Northern Ireland. But good jobs do not appear through legislation imposed without proper consultation, they are created when business is free to invest, grow, and thrive in a genuinely business friendly environment. Ending zero-hours contracts without viable alternatives, imposing new layers of union bureaucracy, and heaping compliance costs onto Small Medium Enterprises will not deliver better outcomes for workers. It will deliver fewer jobs, reduced opportunities, and a chilling effect on growth at exactly the wrong time. “What makes this all the more concerning is what I have found when engaging with businesses right across Northern Ireland many were entirely unaware this Bill even existed, let alone the damaging elements contained within it. That is a damning indictment of this process. It is something I have raised directly in both the Assembly Chamber and the Economy Committee, and it speaks to a fundamental failure of consultation at the heart of this legislation. “Northern Ireland's private sector is the engine of our economic success and it must be protected, not penalised. I am calling on the Economy Minister to pause this Bill, engage meaningfully with employers and industry, and bring forward reforms that are practical, proportionate, and built on genuine partnership with business. If she refuses, she risks wrecking the very economy she was appointed to build.”