DUP false promises come home to roost - Allister
23 September 2009
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister QC
“I will make obtaining a satisfactory financial package which allows a new Assembly to deal with this matter a precondition for the return of devolution. Without such a package the Assembly would be left with the unpalatable and unacceptable choice of keeping water charges or having to make substantial cuts to public services in Northern Ireland. This is not an acceptable choice…..The DUP has already put the government on notice that resolving the issue of water charges is an essential component of the financial package.”
This was the unqualified but empty pledge made by the DUP Leader to every voter just days before the Assembly Election in a special leaflet distributed across the Province entitled, “My commitment to tackle water charges A letter to the people of Northern Ireland.” This document of false promise can still be found on the DUP website as a pdf “Tackling Water Charges”.
"So, in 2007 the DUP pledged obtaining a sufficient financial package to solve the problem of water charges was a PRECONDITION to its agreement to devolution. Now, we find, water charges are again top of the agenda and driving the “substantial cuts to public services” which the DUP promised would be avoided. Why, because once the 2007 election was over the DUP quickly abandoned this precondition and in its rush to power rolled over to accept a financial package which was a mere fraction of what was demanded and utterly inadequate to deal with our needs.
"Now, unsurprisingly, the DUP Finance Minister is having to wield the axe to pay for what his Party promised would be solved years ago. My own belief is that the £370m is but the first tranche of cuts which DFP will demand; there is a much deeper black hole. Stormont has done nothing to cut out waste, instead it is needlessly pouring at least £130m pa for no return into north/southery, sustaining a most bloated bureaucracy in OFMDFM (400 staff!), funding 18 overpaid Special Political Advisers, 11 Departments when 6 would do, appointing management consultants and quangos at every turn, for example 4 Victims Commissioners when one would do, and sustaining 108 MLAs when Wales needs only 60 for twice the population.
"Pruning back this distended administration could produce the £370m and a lot more, but none of these sacred cows will be touched, instead frontline services in health and education will pay the price. And, they call this good government!”
