Efforts to boost Northern Ireland’s private sector must be supported by the UK government, the First Minister told the British chancellor today.
Peter Robinson joined Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness for the meeting with George Osborne in London.
“In what was a very useful meeting with the Chancellor, we again reiterated the need for the UK Government to substantively support our efforts to grow the private sector here,” Mr Robinson said.
“The coalition Government in Westminster is already on the record saying that it wants to rebalance the local economy. We will continue to press them to deliver the sort of support that will make that happen. We need more than words.”
Mr Robinson said they put the case for Northern Ireland to be treated with special care, particularly in relation to cuts in capital spending.
Mr McGuinness said the chancellor agreed to show flexibility in dealing with Northern Ireland.
“We also took the opportunity to emphasise if there were huge cuts to the block grant there would be an almost immediate impact on the wider economy. Less local spending power would have an inevitable knock-on effect for the private sector,” he said.
“Rebalancing the economy would be even more difficult and that is why the coalition must be careful not to make a bad situation worse.”
Mr Osborne is expected to introduce severe cuts to public spending on October 20th.
DUP Finance Minister Sammy Wilson predicted the local budget could lose £2 billion over the next four years and called for contingency plans to be put in place.
Labour Party frontbencher Shaun Woodward urged the British government today not to inflict cuts on the PSNI, warning of terrorists’ “deranged and psychotic intent” to kill.
The shadow Northern Ireland secretary said the coalition should understand that “special circumstances” were required.
“I do not doubt that greater efficiency can be found by the PSNI - just as it can by my own police in Merseyside or any force in this country," he said. "But the threat from dissidents, their campaign of violence and murder is a real and present danger for the brave men and women of the PSNI and the people of Northern Ireland.”
Mr Woodward said dissident activity had grown over the last three years — with more than 30 attacks or attempted attacks this year so far, compared with 20 last year.
“These men and women are ruthless,” he said. “Give them, the Real IRA, Continuity IRA, the chance and they will kill. Their deranged and psychotic intent is to murder - destroy the peace and destroy the politics."
PA