Elizabeth Clarke, a candidate for the Ulster Unionist Party in South Antrim, has said working families in Northern Ireland should not bear the cost when public services fail to deliver. She made the remarks at the party's annual conference on Saturday.

Clarke argued that issues often treated separately by government, such as childcare, housing, education, and transport, are closely connected in the everyday lives of families. She said rising household costs and difficulties accessing these services could leave people working hard but making little progress.

She outlined a number of measures she believes would help, including affordable childcare, reliable roads and public transport, and homes that working people can afford. She said government too often considers these as separate policy areas, while families experience the consequences collectively.

Clarke also called for earlier intervention to prevent families reaching crisis point. She highlighted estimates from the Northern Ireland Audit Office which put the annual cost of child poverty at between £825 million and £1 billion, including additional demands on public services.

On energy, Clarke said almost a quarter of available wind energy in Northern Ireland was curtailed in 2025, with surplus wind energy worth an estimated £204 million going unused, according to EnergyCloud NI. She argued that technology should be explored to direct more surplus renewable electricity into homes, including providing free hot water.

Clarke said her decision to enter politics was influenced by watching families work hard while still struggling to make progress. She said families are already contributing to their communities and have a right to ask whether government is pulling its weight.