Richard Madeley and the Northern Ireland economy

Early day motion 1755, tabled 22 July 2025 by Alex Easton (Independent). Signed by 5 members.

That this House strongly repudiates the recent comments made by television presenter Richard Madeley on Good Morning Britain in which he referred to Northern Ireland as economically close to being a basket case; notes that while Northern Ireland does receive a fiscal transfer from the UK Treasury, this is consistent with the functioning of a transfer union in which wealthier regions subsidise less affluent ones, a pattern repeated across the UK outside of London and the South East of England; highlights that the Office for National Statistics regularly records similar net fiscal deficits in other parts of the UK including the North West and North East of England; further notes that the phrase basket case is not an economic term of art and is typically associated with failed states suffering from hyperinflation, economic collapse, or international bailout, a categorisation which is wholly inappropriate and misleading when applied to Northern Ireland; regrets that such inflammatory language distorts serious discussion about regional economic performance; notes that the continued existence of an internal border down the Irish Sea as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework only exacerbates economic uncertainty and hinders growth; and calls on media commentators to engage with the economic realities of all UK regions in a respectful, factual, and balanced manner.

Signatures by party: DUP 2, Independent 1, Traditional Unionist Voice 1, UUP 1.