Years of chronic underfunding by the Treasury has tied the hands of Ministers and ultimately only a step-change by the current Labour Government can remove these shackles. The interim fiscal framework falls well short in this regard and has neglected the crippling legacy of vital public services being funded below need. Last December, we warned that the financial package offered the UKG would be insufficient but that view is only starting to dawn in some quarters now. Just as we have led on this issue for the last two years, we will continue to do so.
For those however who simplistically speak about Northern Ireland households paying more taxes, I urge caution. Household budgets of working people are already squeezed. Government must be able to tackle waste and achieve greater efficiencies as opposed to simply asking hard-pressed householders to pay more whilst not seeing better outcomes.
Ratepayers in Northern Ireland should not be expected to plug holes in our public services when those holes have been largely created by the Treasury’s failure to provide reasonable funding in the first place. We will be campaigning in Stormont and Westminster to a better funding deal for Northern Ireland which meets our needs and addresses the historic underfunding.
I have never been shy about challenging our Civil Service where I see inefficiency but public sector staff must be paid fairly whilst at the same time there must be headroom to invest in transformation of services. This cause is not served by attacks on those ministers and public bodies who are willing to put their head above the parapets and advocate for fair funding to do the job. There can be no repeat of the treatment dished out to Chief Constable by the Department of Justice in recent days. This simply takes the heat off those in Whitehall who have a responsibility to act.
Inevitably, the current challenges mean there must be a laser sharp focus on inescapable pressures facing frontline services and our society. Tackling the backlog in hospital waiting lists, delivering effective SEN provision, and responding to the crisis facing our water and sewerage network must be high on the agenda if we are to protect the most vulnerable and drive forward our economy. In this sense, the next Programme for Government may not have all of the answers but it is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss.
Our team of DUP MLAs and MPs know there are issues hitting families up and down the country. We will work night and day to secure solutions and we will fight tooth and nail for more funding.
I realise it will be tough, we will work with other parties in the Executive to deliver needed improvements particularly in education, and health.
Thank you for your continued support,
