Cull Stormont Executive's 'sacred cows' as first step in cuts - TUV
23 June 2010
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister QC:-
"The unavoidable swingeing cuts which must hit the Northern Ireland public service and economy can be made most bearable by picking out the least necessary expenditure. £100m could be saved at a stroke by axing the useless, non-productive cross-border bodies, which, frankly, have produced nothing for anybody in 10 years. Next, should be the bloated Stormont Executive administration, starting with the overstaffed OFMDFM, and pruning back on the unnecessary expense of 108 MLAs, 15 Ministers, 20 Special Advisers, 12 Departments and a multiplicity of arms length departmental bodies and quangos, so prolific they are hard to quantify.
"Instead of this common sense approach, I fear, self-interest, the political optics and the republican veto will once again protect the Stormont sacred cows and that instead services which really matter will be cut.
"The Stormont Executive has no right to exhort ordinary citizens to tighten their belts or cut public services till they lead by the example of culling their own sacred cows. HMG says government must radically shrink, well, let's see it start here by slashing the Stormont circus.
"The unworkability of the mutual veto system at Stormont will blight the search for the least hurtful cuts, as Sinn Fein - a party of irresponsible spend of other people's money - blocks every necessary move to cut the Belfast Agreement bureaucracy and, thereby, forces the cuts onto frontline services. Thus, the very existence of the rigged Stormont regime will cause the cuts to hurt more than they need."
