NORTHERN REACTION:Measures appear to have opened a rift between the Executive and Northern Secretary, writes DAN KEENAN
TENSIONS BETWEEN the leaders of the Executive emerged last night in the wake of British chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne’s spending cuts announcement at Westminster.
Northern Secretary Owen Paterson denied that First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness could claim legitimately that the cuts were more severe than expected.
Speaking in Washington where US secretary of state Hillary Clinton hosted a US-NI investment conference, Robinson said: “We’re pedalling as fast as we can in trying to move forward economically and . . . It makes life very difficult for us.”
McGuinness warned: “We’re going to be involved in a bit of a battle with the British government on this issue over the coming period.”
Paterson countered: “The fears expressed by many people about ‘savage cuts’ simply have not happened. The Northern Ireland Office is committed to finding savings of 25 per cent. Yet the Northern Ireland Executive is being asked to reduce spending by 6.9 per cent over four years. That’s an average saving of 1.7 pence in every £1 local ministers spend each year. To suggest that this is worse than expected is simply wrong.”
Sinn Féin said the cuts were “disastrous” while the SDLP branded them “devastating”.
The Greens said the cuts were “reckless, vindictive and ideologically motivated” while Alliance said the new financial arrangements were “very challenging” and would be compounded by welfare cuts.
The Ulster Unionists said: “Many people in Northern Ireland are going to face tough times and it is our responsibility to do our best to alleviate their difficulties.”
Minister for Health Michael McGimpsey has already warned of a “£1.4 billion (€1.6 billion) black hole” in the North’s health budget.
The northern committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions said of the cuts: “This is intolerant, and intolerable. It must be resisted.”
Last night Minister for Finance Sammy Wilson said the Executive needed to face the fiscal challenge.
“Over recent months I have been trying to prepare the people of Northern Ireland for such a settlement,” he said. “I have also been working hard to prepare my Executive colleagues for the difficult decisions we now face . . . we have a duty to take those difficult decisions. That is our responsibility, that is what we have been elected to do.”