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Political Platform

Martina Anderson

Martina Anderson is an MEP representing Northern Ireland in the European Parliament and is Chair of the EU parliamentary delegation to Palestine. The Derry native has been active in politics for over 45 years and is a former MLA and Junior Minister at the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister.

Where did your political journey begin?

My political journey began in 1969 with the attack and death of Samuel Devenney. His death followed on from a Civil Rights protest which was attacked by the RUC and follow up raids in the Bogside. Samuel Devenney’s house was raided and he died three months later. Following on from Sammy’s death the Bogside became a site of resistance with constant attacks on my community by the RUC and later by the British army. In particular, internment, Bloody Sunday, Operation Motor Man and prison protests were all part of my political journey which eventually led me to becoming actively involved in the Republican movement.

 

How does being an MEP compare to being an MLA?

The jobs are very different. As an MLA and a Junior Minister I was used to dealing with legislation some of it had already been set, a lot of which originated in Europe. As an MEP I am now in a position where I am helping to frame legislation which not only impacts on the north but across the whole of Europe. I am now elected by six counties as opposed to one and I have a larger bureaucratic institution to navigate my way through. It is more difficult as an MEP to get the media to focus on the areas in which I work regardless of their impact and it also means that I spend less time at home and a lot of time in airports.

 

What issues have you focused on since becoming an MEP?

I have focused on human rights, civil liberties, funding opportunities and Brexit. As Chair of the EU Parliamentary delegation to Palestine I have paid particular attention to what is happening to the Palestinian people, paying a number of visits to the area.

Another area in which I worked strenuously was the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). During the latter part of my first term as an MEP I was a shadow rapporteur working on getting the directive through the legislative process in Europe and it was finally passed in February 2014. As legislators, whether that be in Europe, the Dáil or in the Executive, Sinn Féin takes its responsibility to first and foremost protect the health and well-being of citizens very seriously. That is why I took great satisfaction from my role in progressing the TPD through the legislative process in Europe.

There are 2,300 people who die prematurely from tobacco related disease in the north of Ireland each year. Each and every one of them is someone’s mother, father, son or daughter and the aim of the TPD is to reduce the consumption of tobacco, particularly among young people by diminishing its attractiveness.

Studies show that the tobacco marketing strategy is directed mainly at recruiting new impressionable young people to use these products. It is responsible for introducing this deadly habit to our youth, 70 per cent of whom begin smoking when they are only children and if they continue to use the product as the manufacturers intend, 50 per cent of them will die from smoking related disease.

While I will do everything possible to protect the rights and entitlements of workers, and encourage tobacco manufacturers to diversify into new endeavours such as research and development of products that enhance the health and wellbeing of the population, I cannot ignore the devastating effect that Tobacco Products have on the health of society.

 

What do you enjoy most about being an MEP and what do you find most challenging?

I enjoy the fact that I am part of helping to set the agenda for legislation across the whole of Europe especially in Ireland. That means I have the opportunity to inject equality, human rights and a progressive social agenda as part of helping the most disadvantaged and marginalised. The most challenging part of my work is dealing with the lobbyists who are simply representing big businesses at the expense of the ordinary citizen and a bureaucracy that wants to thwart or ignore the democratic wishes of the Parliament.

 

What are the three main benefits of Northern Ireland remaining in the EU?

Firstly, there is the financial support that we receive from Europe. Secondly, the social, consumer and environment standards and protections that flow from European directives and regulations and thirdly the access for our producers to a market of over 500 million people.

How do you see the future of the European Union developing?

The failed austerity agenda that has been pursued by many of the political leaders of Europe has shown that they have no understanding or appreciation of what the ordinary person in the street is suffering. There has been a backlash against this approach and I think in the coming years we will see the development of a social Europe, where the concerns of citizens are placed on an equal footing alongside an economic Europe.

 

What are your main interests outside politics?

To be honest I don’t get much time outside of politics, so at the weekend if I get a night off, I enjoy putting my feet up and watching a film with my husband.

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