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David Cameron: I’ll target Northern Ireland for cutbacks
Saturday, 24 April 2010
enlargeTory leader David Cameron has signalled his intention to slash public spending in Northern Ireland — picking out the province as a region where Government expenditure must come down.
His comments are sure to spark a political storm here, with Mr Cameron’s party seeking votes in 17 constituencies through a link-up with the Ulster Unionists.
His stark warning will be seized on by other parties and hailed as revealing a Tory cutbacks agenda.
In a BBC interview last night, Mr Cameron described the level of public spending in parts of the UK as “unsustainable”.
Asked where the axe would fall, he replied: “The first one I think I would pick out is Northern Ireland.”
“In Northern Ireland, it’s quite clear — almost every party I think now accepts this — that the size of the state has got too big. We need a bigger private sector.
“There are other parts of the country, including the North-East, where many people would accept that the aim has got to be to get the private sector, to get the commercial sector, going.”
Told that people in Northern Ireland would be “concerned”, Mr Cameron insisted cuts were inevitable whoever won the election.
“I don’t think you can make this into some ideological crusade,” he said.
Mr Cameron is expected to personally hit the campaign trail here with his UUP allies in the run-up to polling day on May 6.
The Northern Ireland version of his party’s manifesto is due to be launched on Monday in South Antrim — the constituency where Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey is seeking to unseat the DUP’s Rev William McCrea.
The Tory leader is not expected to attend Monday’s launch but is believed to be planning a visit later in the campaign.
In common with other parties, the Conservative/UUP platform includes the goal of lowering corporation tax for Northern Ireland businesses.
Under the Tory blueprint, any cut in the tax would be funded through a reduction in the block grant that the Stormont Executive receives to fund its expenditure.
DUP leader Peter Robinson has repeatedly spoken in favour of cutting the size of the province’s public sector.
While also backing a corporation tax cut, his party’s manifesto ambitiously proposes that this should come about without impacting on the block grant.
The Cameron interview came on the day that Gordon Brown claimed Conservative policies would have put 1.7m more people out of work during the recession.
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32 Comments
I wonder how many will still want to be part of the U.K. when 20 to 30 per cent the 60 per cent of the NI workforce that works in the public sector receives their marching orders from Cameron?
At least if you were an overseas part of France you'd be guaranteed a big public sector with no chance of cuts. Pity you had to throw in your lot with the free market Anglo-Saxons eh.
Posted by Scipio | 26.04.10, 15:27 GMT
eh, don't think ill be votin' for conservatives/UUP then
Posted by joe | 25.04.10, 19:29 GMT
Well at least we know what the tories have in store for us. This is important for all those who may have been thinking of voting UU or independent unionist in Fermanagh/South Tyrone. A vote for either is a vote for tory cuts to jobs and services in northern Ireland. Vote tactically to keep the tories out.
Posted by Terence | 25.04.10, 17:23 GMT
I think this article is rather bad journalism from the Belfast Telegraph. Agreed that Cameron was clumsy with his statement, but the point he was trying to make is that the public sector in NI is too lager with *respect* to the private sector. On this point he would be correct.
Posted by Paul | 25.04.10, 16:45 GMT
Can't really blame him. The waste of public money here is a disgrace. I work for a NDPB and we could do the same work with half the people. Slash the crazy levels of duplication and triplication of paperwork and processes, speed things up, deliver real service to end users and there shouldn't be a problem. Oh and six county councils plus Belfast Council please. And while you're at it, let rip the benefits system down a bit - that will shave many hundreds of millions from our need to block grant subsidies.
Posted by Bob | 25.04.10, 15:07 GMT
this stormont executive have squandered millions on inquiries and counsultants and now with the block grant to be cut jobs will have to go could they not have spent their money wisely by investing in jobs the health service education how the chickens are coming home to roost
Posted by norman.d | 25.04.10, 14:44 GMT
Of course the area he will choose are hardly Tory...what a surprise. Welcome to the world of realpolitik. Meanwhile in the South East of England they hog all the jobs to themselves as they shuttle in and out of their offices or to the airports ignoring the fact that crime, immigration and the cost of life has reached collosal levels. Crack open the champagne Irish Republicans...the Tories are coming back!!!!
Posted by gregory | 25.04.10, 12:45 GMT
Thats all we need considering were still in a deep recession. The words double dip come to mind!...
Posted by Roselawn Jim!! | 25.04.10, 11:40 GMT
typical tory,cut backs for the working class,whilst promoting tax cuts for the rich,better the devil you know,than trust the tories.
Posted by JOHN QUINLAN | 25.04.10, 11:37 GMT
Cameron's comments about a bloated public sector in NI are spot on. At a time when many in the private sector are facing pay-cuts and the fear of unemployment, the 'perks' of public sector workers can be galling; guaranteed annual pay-rises, final-salary pensions, flexible working hours, job protection, and of course expenses.
Many of us will have anecdotal evidence of bureaucracy in the public sector - so the Tories must look at middle-managers and not front-line staff if and when cut-backs are to be made. Some of the money saved should then be diverted to fund capital projects; new schools, hospitals, motorways, etc, as the construction industry in NI has been disproportionately affected by the recession and desperately needs a boost.
Posted by Matt Sullivan | 25.04.10, 09:11 GMT
Its funny how few people seem to have actually listened to Camerons comments. What he actually said was that Northern Ireland, like the NE of England, and other locations suffers from a Private sector that lags well behind where it needs to be for long-term economic progress. As a result the increased public spending creates an unsustainable long-term situation. He attempted to stress that developing the private sector was the key aspect to improve this over time. No, I am not pretending that this does not means cuts but how about a modicum of balanced reporting. Anyone who believes that the NI Economy can develop in the future from its current public/private position without sgnificant change is delusional.
Posted by David Hale | 25.04.10, 09:03 GMT
And this coming from the person unionists have chained themselves to?
Posted by billyboy | 25.04.10, 07:06 GMT
If the govt is out of money, the cuts have to start somewhere.
Posted by forestial | 25.04.10, 04:50 GMT
It is not that cuts are inevitable due to a a lack of money - the more important point to make is that it is fundamentally unhealthy for an economy to pass two thresholds (1) where more than 50% of an economy is "government" and (2) where there is no incentive to work in the private sector - why would anyone want to work in the private sector in NI in general, when job availability, conditions and quite amazingly pay is more attractive in the public sector.
I am all in favour of public employment but it need to be in ratio of 2 or 3 (4 or 5 would be better) to 1 public sector job not the reverse. If we think of the public sector as a weekend and the private sector the working week, then "NI Ltd" is working only Monday and Tuesday, but expecting a Sunday roast for lunch for 5 days. The “advantage” and “respect” needs to return to working for a “company” as opposed to clocking on with the “civil service” – only then will the best people flow to the private sector.
Posted by Allan | 25.04.10, 02:30 GMT
Reduction in funding in NI is inevitable,under any party, as the cost of troops in Afghanistan and a weak economy eats into the available finances.
Politicians should be working together to identify job creation and indigenous export products to replace our lost manufacturing sector. The Tories are not good for N Ireland.
Posted by Pragmatist | 24.04.10, 23:50 GMT
One wonders if Sir Reg is sorry now ?
Posted by Alex | 24.04.10, 23:35 GMT
This has long been the problem that no-one here - politician or civil servant - has wanted to (or perhaps more honestly) been able to address.
It is for the long-term benefit of NI that it is addressed - sadly it will be forced on (because we chose to ignore the problem) us rather than being done on our own terms & over a long time...but perhaps that was always going to be how it would be addressed
My wife works for the state (Dr.) it will affect us, but for our kids it will be for the best.
I'm sure our "begging bowl" mentality will not see it the way I do...but the party on English tax-payer is over
Your thoughts...
Posted by Nigel Watson | 24.04.10, 22:09 GMT
He(Cameron) is absolutely right! Northern Ireland depends too heavily on the public sector. What remains to be seen is how he would hope to achieve this,and over what period of time?
Posted by RMS | 24.04.10, 22:09 GMT
The Belfast Telegraphs reporting of this interview is a disgrace he did not say he wanted to slash jobs in the public sector in Northern Ireland he said he wanted to grow the private sector. I would advise people to watch the the interview on BBC iplayer to hear what he really said
Posted by Johnny | 24.04.10, 21:37 GMT
dear or dear. what have the UUP done getting involved with the conservatives. big mistake.
Posted by Mark | 24.04.10, 19:58 GMT
32 Comments