Where is this 'clear vision', Ian?
11 January 2008
Statement by Jim Allister MEP:
“I read with interest Ian Paisley Jnr’s reaction to my response to the Draft Budget, Programme for Government and Investment Strategy. He claims that TUV fails to set out how they will strengthen the Union between Great Britain and the United Kingdom while himself not responding to my claim that under DUP/ Sinn Fein government there is more emphasis on the north/south dimension for the Belfast Agreement than there ever was under David Trimble.
The simple fact of the matter is that Mr Paisley’s party trumpeted that a financial package was a “pre-condition” for devolution. Where is it Ian?
The Draft Budget, Programme for Government and Investment Strategy repeatedly blames historic underinvestment from Westminster for Northern Ireland’s economic ills. Where are the references to the fact that the brutal terrorist campaign waged by people like the joint First Minister Martin McGuinness was the primary reason for deterring investment in Northern Ireland?
The Draft Investment Strategy contains a section headed “Benefits of North/South Co-operation” and “Co-operation in Border Areas”. Where is the section dealing with East-West cooperation? Where does the Executive talk about developing links with the Scottish Executive?
And, perhaps most startling of all, where in any of the document do the ministers in the Executive actually outline what they are going to do for the next four years?
So come on Ian, where is the DUP’s “clear vision” of where they want to take Northern Ireland? It certainly isn’t in the 4 year 17 page programme for government!”
