Budget Bill buys time

Relentless pursuit of austerity by the Tory Party is undermining the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and rendering the current situation unsustainable.

THE DECISION by Sinn Féin to support the Budget Bill before the Stormont Assembly buys everyone time to find a lasting solution to the relentless austerity agenda imposed by Tory millionaires in the British Cabinet who have no mandate in the North of Ireland.

Sinn Féin stood in the recent Westminster elections against Tory austerity and for social justice and equality. Its approach was mandated by over 176,000 voters, almost 25% of the popular vote. In contrast, the Tories received only 9,000 votes in the North – just over 1% of the vote.

The Conservative Party doesn’t have a single Assembly or local council seat in the Six Counties. They have no democratic mandate for their austerity policies here. (They have none in Scotland or Wales either.)

The seemingly endless financial crises caused by the diktats of wealthy English Tories from the Palace of Westminster cannot continue.

Relentless pursuit of austerity by the Tory Party is undermining the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and rendering the current situation unsustainable.

Sinn Féin will not do Tory austerity.

This is a time when the Executive parties need to stand together to defend public services, particularly in health, education and welfare protection.

Conditional support for this Budget Bill has bought some time. Both the British and Irish governments must now come to the table with ideas to resolve the issues and deliver a workable and sustainable budget.