Politics can be difficult to understand, that's why we have asked some important questions to help break it down.
Carl Whyte - SDLP
Mental Health
If elected I will go to Westminster and fight for the UK government to provide a fairer funding model for Northern Ireland so that we can tackle the problems in our health system and implement much needed transformation. It’s clear that many people across the North are being failed by not having access to mental health care when they need it. With proper funding from the UK government the Executive would be able to implement a number of measures to deliver better mental health care, including fully implementing the Department of Health’s Mental Health Action plan.
Sexual Health and Education
The SDLP has campaigned for fit for purpose relationships and sexuality education in our schools so that young people can learn about important issues like healthy relationships and consent. We have also been instrumental in pushing for a violence against women and girls strategy to address many of the issues that occur within relationships and to equip our young people with the tools to navigate challenges when they arise.
The Climate Crisis
In the last Westminster mandate SDLP Leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood introduced legislation to declare a climate emergency, create green jobs and increase the taxation of large companies to generate revenue to be spent on tackling the climate crisis. While this important legislation was blocked by the Tories, the SDLP were instrumental in securing a windfall tax on oil and gas companies. I would work to build on this in the House of Commons and force any government to take the climate emergency seriously and take the necessary steps to implement a just transition while investing in renewable energy sources.
Housing and the Cost of Survival
It’s clear that there is a growing housing crisis across the North with many struggling to access affordable and social housing and families excluded from the housing ladder altogether. We also having long-standing issues around the quality of our housing stock, an issue that often impacts students living in houses that are not fit for habitation. A funding grap from Westminster is compounded by the failure of the NI Executive to support the building of an adequate number of social and affordable homes.
To tackle this issue we need greater controls around the regulation of HMOs, with many existing properties already breaching the rules. We also need to ensure that laws are strong enough to force landlords to keep their properties in good condition and to provide students with recourse if they are not.
The SDLP has been instrumental in supporting students during the cost of living crisis, working with student unions to highlight their plight and give their views a platform. We were key to securing support payments for students during the coronavirus pandemic and led a campaign highlighting the negative effect it was having on their lives.
Israel/Palestine
The SDLP has been at the forefront of standing up for the rights of Palestinians in the face of the current genocide that is taking place in Gaza. At Westminster, the Assembly and local councils we have denounced the actions if Israel, urged an international response, alongside condemning the actions of Hamas and calling for the release of hostages.
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood refused his invitation to the White House for this year’s St Patrick Day events in protest at the complicity of the US regime in what is taking place in Gaza. We could not attend a party while innocent civilians are being slaughtered in Gaza with weapons made in the US.
The SDLP’s long-held position is that a two-state solution is the answer to a lasting peace in the region and have implored world leaders to do everything within their power to deliver a ceasefire and negotiations around a permanent peaceful settlement.