McCrossan appointed SDLP spokesperson for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
SDLP MLA for West Tyrone, Daniel McCrossan, has been appointed as the Party’s new spokesperson for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA).
Speaking following his appointment, Mr McCrossan said: “It is a privilege to take on this role at such a critical time for our farming families, our environment, and our rural communities. Representing a rural constituency, I see every day the pressures on local people who feel abandoned by this Executive. My job in Opposition is to hold Sinn Féin, DUP and Alliance to account for their repeated failures and to fight for real solutions.”
Mr McCrossan set out the priorities he will pursue as Opposition spokesperson:
– Farming families left behind – while costs rise and incomes fall, Sinn Féin the DUP and Alliance have failed to deliver fair support for the agri-food sector. Farmers deserve better than empty promises.
- The Lough Neagh disaster – years of neglect and political inaction have turned one of our greatest natural assets into an environmental and economic catastrophe. The Executive cannot wash its hands of responsibility.
- Rural roads and services in decline – local communities are paying the price of crumbling infrastructure, flooding problems, and the steady erosion of essential services. This is the result of DUP/Sinn Féin/Alliance failure to invest.
- Climate leadership missing – while other regions are planning a just transition, Northern Ireland risks falling behind. Rural households cannot be left to carry the burden alone.
- Accountability – the public deserves honesty and delivery, not Ministers hiding from responsibility
Mr McCrossan added: “The DUP and Sinn Féin have been in charge for almost two decades. Their legacy in agriculture and the environment is crumbling roads, a poisoned Lough Neagh, mounting pressure on farmers, and a rural community that feels forgotten. Enough is enough. In opposition the SDLP will stand with rural families, expose government neglect, and demand action where others deliver excuses.
“I will not allow Sinn Féin, the DUP and Alliance to continue failing rural people. Opposition means calling them out, and that’s exactly what I will do.”