Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TUNNEL VISION NOT SHARED BY UNIONISTS
Arlene open to discussion about plans.. ..but Aiken wants to spend cash elsewhere
THE leaders of the main unionist parties have given contrasting reactions to the idea of building a tunnel to Scotland.
First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster described the suggestion as “positive” while Ulster Unionist chief Steve Aiken insisted the billions would be better spent on more pressing concerns in Northern Ireland.
The politicians were asked to respond to comments from Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, who on Thursday said he favoured a tunnel rather than a bridge as a way to link the two nations. Mr Jack told a parliamentary committee in Scotland that Boris Johnson is “on the same page” as him, despite the Prime Minister having previously strongly advocated for a bridge.
Critics have raised multiple concerns about the practicalities of building any sort of road link between Scotland and Northern Ireland, insisting the idea
YESTERDAY STORMONT
is just not realistic. As well as the costs, estimated at between £20billion and £30billion, there is a huge Second World War munitions dump at the bottom of Beaufort’s Dyke in the Irish Sea.
Mr Jack said the dump would not be an issue with a tunnel and said he had been told by a number of engineers going underground would cost less than building a bridge.
Reacting at Stormont yesterday, Mrs Foster said the importance of connecting Northern Ireland to the rest of the United Kingdom had been demonstrated by the collapse of Flybe and the loss of several key routes from Belfast City Airport to Great Britain.
She added: “We have seen during the week how we can be disconnected by what happened to Flybe. If we look at a feasibility study about a bridge or a tunnel I think those are positive things to look at.”
On the prospect of a tunnel, she added: “It wouldn’t be impacted by the weather or indeed Beaufort’s Dyke either I think as well. We await to see what the Government comes forward with.”
Mr Aiken was more sceptical about the proposal.
He said: “I would like to fly on a direct flight out of Belfast City Airport to either Edinburgh and Glasgow and I think that’s the priority at the minute.
“And if we can miraculously find £20billion or £30billion I’d much rather spend it on sorting out our water infrastructure, our health system, our own roads, our power grid and getting ourselves ready for the challenge of climate change.”