NI Budget

deise go deo

Cuts Breach Agreement

Northern Ireland political leaders are on a collision course with the Government accusing it of reneging on financial commitments and endangering thousands of jobs in the region.
They claimed the cuts unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne amounted to a £4 billion loss for the Stormont purse over the next four years, sparking predictions of 50,000 job losses.

First Minister Peter Robinson and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who are returning from a US investment conference, said the cuts were worse than they feared and breached existing agreements.

So what do you think?

Could this lead to more support for the dissidents?

DrumSteve

To be honest I dont think the English care to prop them up anymore...

Wolfe Tone

Personally I think it might. Clearly illustrates that Stormont have feck all power and the Brits are still in charge.

RDM_83 again

Think it could set the North back years (and to be honest the North only had a short boom and period of normal unemployment*)
Have the feeling a huge potential to tear stormont as it is apart, they have no control over how much money they recieve but the control they have over how its spent could potentially create serious distortions in spending by the individual ministers (not at all an expert on how the excutive works/or doesn't).

Its sad though that to my mind these cuts would not be occuring so severely if the troubles were in full swing as there was an opinion that the British goverment put so much money into the north as the security costs were so high anyway for example even in 2009 15% of MI5's budget was spent on the North.
https://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/major-areas-of-work.html
And during the hight of the Troubles I believe a 1/3 to a 1/2 of the UK's helicopter forces were stationed there with obviously huge costs.

To be honest I don't see support for the dissidents themselves rising but there is a high potential for strikes/disorder

KeithAFC

deise go deo wrote: »

Cuts Breach Agreement






So what do you think?

Could this lead to more support for the dissidents?

No. Most people have moved on. Only idiots support the dissidents.

deise go deo

KeithAFC wrote: »

No. Most people have moved on. Only idiots support the dissidents.

There are plenty of idiots in the world, It dose show how little power NI really has in the UK frame work.


It seams there are going to be alot more people on the dole qeues, they might not be to happy about this budget.

KeithAFC

deise go deo wrote: »

There are plenty of idiots in the world, It dose show how little power NI really has in the UK frame work.


It seams there are going to be alot more people on the dole qeues, they might not be to happy about this budget.

I suggest those republicans who do support them get educated and look at history.

Wolfe Tone

KeithAFC wrote: »

I suggest those republicans who do support them get educated and look at history.

They would say the exact same thing to those who dont support them.

KeithAFC

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

They would say the exact same thing to those who dont support them.

:pac: Thats why they are idiots. Can't progress.

deise go deo

KeithAFC wrote: »

:pac: Thats why they are idiots. Can't progress.

Could say the same about Loyalists:P

KeithAFC

deise go deo wrote: »

Could say the same about Loyalists:P

Until the UVF etc go on a boming campaign to kill people, i would say the same as you. But they aren't.

deise go deo

KeithAFC wrote: »

Until the UVF etc go on a boming campaign to kill people, i would say the same as you. But they aren't.

If the disidents are on a bombing campaghain to kill people then they are not very good at it.
Keep warning the authorities for some strange reason, Unless they are not trying to kill people?:eek:

KeithAFC

deise go deo wrote: »

If the disidents are on a bombing campaghain to kill people then they are not very good at it.
Keep warning the authorities for some strange reason, Unless they are not trying to kill people?:eek:

Short on men but look at the amount of people who have came so close to being killed.

deise go deo

KeithAFC wrote: »

Short on men but look at the amount of people who have came so close to being killed.

I accept that, But had they actually been trying to kill people do you not think those might have beens might now be dead?

KeithAFC

deise go deo wrote: »

I accept that, But had they actually been trying to kill people do you not think those might have beens might now be dead?

When i say kill people, i mean police men too. And soldiers. I don't agree with a rubbish little poxy group going around trying to kill people in a time of peace or building towards peace.

oscarBravo

Topic, folks. Let's talk about the NI budget cuts and their implications. If there's a direct implication relating to dissidents, we can talk about that, but this isn't going to be yet another loop-the-loop about the rights and wrongs of physical force republicanism.

DoireNod

I can see how such harsh cuts and breaching of previous agreements might lead to an escalation of support for dissident republicans and indeed other less-mainstream groups, but it's quite difficult to guage how much support that might be, because there are very little alternatives. Who knows, maybe the likes of Eamonn McCann might see a surge of support in Derry.

However, this is a test which primarily faces Sinn Féin and the DUP and people will be scrutinising how they deal with it before they 'jump ship', as it were. The British government won't help matters either. When you have the likes of Owen Patterson advocating the cuts and at the same time proclaiming, that "David Cameron and [he] really have got the interests of Northern Ireland at heart", then one can be forgiven for thinking that he might be being a tad disingenuous.

KeithAFC wrote: »

No. Most people have moved on. Only idiots support the dissidents.

So, if one does not support the majority opinion then one is an idiot? No disrespect, but I think that's a silly comment to make. I can tell you that there are plenty of people who support the 'dissident' cause, but not necessarily their methods. I would not describe these people as being idiotic.

jackbenimble

DrumSteve wrote: »

To be honest I dont think the English care to prop them up anymore...

What evidence do you have for that?

jackbenimble

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

Personally I think it might. Clearly illustrates that Stormont have feck all power and the Brits are still in charge.

Of course Westminster is 'still in charge' - who in their right mind would think otherwise?

deise go deo

So Jack what do you think of the budget?

Will you need to tighten your belt as a result of it?

jackbenimble

deise go deo wrote: »

So Jack what do you think of the budget?

Will you need to tighten your belt as a result of it?

There are cuts going on across The UK - there is absolutely no reason why NI should be exempt.

They could save a fair bit of cash by cutting the assembly down to a sensible size - say half what it is now. Or binning it completely.

Wolfe Tone

jackbenimble wrote: »

There are cuts going on across The UK - there is absolutely no reason why NI should be exempt.

They could save a fair bit of cash by cutting the assembly down to a sensible size - say half what it is now. Or binning it completely.

Bring back direct rule you say?

OS119

deise go deo wrote: »

...It seams there are going to be alot more people on the dole qeues, they might not be to happy about this budget.

if NI as a society(?) is unhappy about the economic policy of the UK they would of course be very welcome to seek some other, more profitable arrangement with another state.

i accept entirely that there is a 'bribery' aspect to the whole peace process, and that the cost of paying for their feather-bedded public sector is vastly less than getting the bill for a resumed conflict, but i fear that if NI thinks it has some 'special place' within the hearts of mainland taxpayers that will enable it to get the old budget while everyone else in the UK gets the new budget then they are deeply and sadly mistaken.

KeithAFC

DoireNod wrote: »

I can see how such harsh cuts and breaching of previous agreements might lead to an escalation of support for dissident republicans and indeed other less-mainstream groups, but it's quite difficult to guage how much support that might be, because there are very little alternatives. Who knows, maybe the likes of Eamonn McCann might see a surge of support in Derry.

However, this is a test which primarily faces Sinn Féin and the DUP and people will be scrutinising how they deal with it before they 'jump ship', as it were. The British government won't help matters either. When you have the likes of Owen Patterson advocating the cuts and at the same time proclaiming, that "David Cameron and [he] really have got the interests of Northern Ireland at heart", then one can be forgiven for thinking that he might be being a tad disingenuous.

So, if one does not support the majority opinion then one is an idiot? No disrespect, but I think that's a silly comment to make. I can tell you that there are plenty of people who support the 'dissident' cause, but not necessarily their methods. I would not describe these people as being idiotic.

Sorry. Got no time for the dissidents who are pure idiots. Anyone who supports them is an idiot also.

gurramok

Its mad alright. We have United Ireland opposers stating the huge cost of unification pointing to the huge public sector there as a factor against unification and yet the British govt is doing the dirty work to clear the cost up!

I suspect these cuts will disproportionately affect the Unionist community hence any hint of civil disobedience just might arise from that quarter rather than dissidents.

jackbenimble

gurramok wrote: »

Its mad alright. We have United Ireland opposers stating the huge cost of unification pointing to the huge public sector there as a factor against unification and yet the British govt is doing the dirty work to clear the cost up!

I suspect these cuts will disproportionately affect the Unionist community hence any hint of civil disobedience just might arise from that quarter rather than dissidents.

What makes you say that?

gurramok

jackbenimble wrote: »

What makes you say that?

http://www.equalityni.org/archive/pdf/MonitoringReportNo19_FINAL_081209.pdf

For your convenience, scroll to page 54. 55% are from a Protestant community background(90%+Unionist).

Then scroll to page 56, we know that most of Health & Education are ringfenced. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1022/ni_politics1.html , http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11226710 , then compare.

jackbenimble

gurramok wrote: »

http://www.equalityni.org/archive/pdf/MonitoringReportNo19_FINAL_081209.pdf

For your convenience, scroll to page 54. 55% are from a Protestant community background(90%+Unionist).

Then scroll to page 56, we know that most of Health & Education are ringfenced. http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1022/ni_politics1.html , http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11226710 , then compare.

I wasn't aware health and education are 'ring fenced' in NI - anything on that?

gurramok

jackbenimble wrote: »

I wasn't aware health and education are 'ring fenced' in NI - anything on that?

Its ringfenced in England & Wales, why not NI?

Have a look for analysis by BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11595551

jackbenimble

gurramok wrote: »

Its ringfenced in England & Wales, why not NI?

Have a look for analysis by BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11595551

NI is devolved - I guess those at Stormont will decide on what gets 'ring fenced' and what doesn't.