Now, more than ever, our traders deserve political leadership to help them weather the challenges ahead

AT the end of another week there is good news for employees of Wrightbus in Ballymena, and clarity about help for the traders worst affected by the Bank Buildings fire in Belfast.

There is also hope that the 60 employees of New Look’s Donegall Place store in Belfast will be redeployed if, as expected, it closes on November 3, but there is still some uncertainty about what the future will hold for them.

The news for Wrightbus is extremely good, with the firm securing orders for some 200 buses in Hong Kong, securing jobs and bringing in millions of pounds. This is especially uplifting after Wrightbus announced earlier that its pretax profits for 2017 collapsed by more than 80%, from £10.7m to £1.5m.

This illustrates the difficult trading conditions amid the uncertainty over Brexit, but Wrightbus has shown it can compete in an international market, an indication of what could happen post-Brexit if conditions are right.

In a different context, Belfast city centre traders face enormous challenges following the Bank Buildings fire. The City Council is working hard to help, and it is important some of the £500,000 it set aside may be available to firms worst affected.

Those inside the exclusion zone may be able to claim up to £19,000 each to help them through their difficulties, and other traders nearby may receive much-needed financial support on a sliding scale. Nevertheless, the city centre faces huge challenges in the run-up to Christmas, which annually provides traders with income to help them survive for the rest of the year.

There are also challenges for traders in other parts of the Province, where some businesses in market towns are struggling.

Once again the sorry absence of our well-paid MLAs cannot be ignored, at a time when clear direction is needed to help business people from both communities to stay afloat. It is clearer than ever that a sustained effort is required on all sides if Northern Ireland is to compete successfully, locally and in the wider world.