Sinn Féin continues to resist the Tory cuts agenda

Michelle Gildernew

THOUSANDS of health and education workers who joined picket lines across the North in a 24-hour strike against budget cuts have been backed by Sinn Féin, which called for economic power to be held in Ireland, not Westminster.

Michelle Gildernew MP said the Executive needs to have the economic powers currently controlled by the Tory-led Government at Westminster to tackle the economic crisis head-on "and these must include tax-varying and borrowing powers".

She added:

Beyond this, significant savings could be made through more efficient use of existing resources if we end the economically harmful duplication of services as a result of partition.

The Sinn Féin MP said:

We fully support the right of unions to take industrial action and we will to continue to work in alliance with the trade unions and community and voluntary sector to campaign against cuts and to defend community and public services, especially in the most deprived areas.

Our ministers are continuing to ensure that every possible measure is taken to protect frontline services despite the challenges of the current economic climate imposed by the Tory cuts agenda.

When other parties were prepared to acquiesce in the Tory Budget last year we developed innovative revenue-raising measures which identified £1.6bn in new revenue and efficiencies which was adopted by the Executive.

What the Executive needs is the necessary fiscal powers to tackle the economic crisis head on and these must include tax-varying and borrowing powers.