Labour Party 'telling lies' about water charges in North

» Mark Moloney

"I challenge any of you to travel one hour up the road, and ask anybody in any household on the northern side of the Border are they paying an additional charge for water, and the answer is no."

The LABOUR Party has been accused of 'telling lies' during media interviews in which its members have claimed there are water charges in the North. The criticism was made by the former minister under whose watch water charges and water privatisation were blocked.

Conor Murphy MP, who served as Regional Development Minister from 2007 to 2011 and who blocked British Government attempts to introduce water charges and water privatisation accused the Labour Party of blatantly lying to the media on the issue.

Speaking in Dublin, the Sinn Féin MP for Newry and Armagh said:

"We managed to resist British Government attempts at bringing in water charges in the North. I have heard senior Labour Party members telling lies during media opportunities on the situation that pertains in the North."

Speaking to media reporters, he said:

"I challenge any of you to travel one hour up the road, and ask anybody in any household on the northern side of the Border are they paying an additional charge for water, and the answer is no.

"And it will be no into the future," he added.