A second Northern Ireland education board tonight caved in to British government pressure and set a budget for next year which will mean cuts in services running into millions of pounds.
The Belfast Education and Library Board voted through a budget including £6.6 million in cuts.
The decision — taken by one vote — was an about-face on that taken by the board last week when it told Education Minister Angela Smith they would not make cuts and she should do her own dirty work.
It followed a cave-in by the South Eastern Board which last week gave in to pressure and set a budget involving cuts of several millions.
The SEELB board met and refused to make the cuts on Thursday morning, then had a meeting with the minister and went back and did her bidding.
Both boards had been warned by Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain that if they did not do what was required ministers would do it for them.
Political party representatives of the Belfast Board condemned the decision of the non-party nominees to force through the budget.
PA