UUP/SDLP To Defy Stormont Budget

The leader of the mainly nationalist SDLP, Margaret Ritchie has revealed that the SDLP will attempt to amend the final Stormont Finance Bill before it passes the Assembly today.

Both the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists (UUP) - whose ministers voted against the plan at an Executive meeting in Stormont Castle last week - are expected to seek last minute changes.

UUP Leader Tom Elliot has given a strong indication that his ministers will vote against the budget if they don't receive appropriate dispensations on their amendments.

Specifically, the UUP has tabled an amendment calling for £165m extra to be allocated to the health service in the first year of the new budget even though the DUP Finance Minister, Sammy Wilson, offered the Health Minister an additional £120m over four years.

As the two main parties, the unionist DUP and the republicans, Sinn Fein, are expected to oppose both amendments, the UUP and the SDLP will most likely vote against the budget provoking a crisis in the Stormont Executive.

The Alliance Party has signaled it's support, but with misgivings, while, at the weekend, Ulster Unionist Minister Danny Kennedy refused to rule out the possibility that he and his party colleague, Michael McGimpsey, might resign from the Executive over the budget.

Margaret Ritchie is bidding to raise more money to create jobs, protect frontline services and to boost the economy as the budget is put to a formal vote after weeks of heated exchanges between politicians regarding its contents.

The debate is expected to last for most of the day after Margaret Ritchie has described the budget as "failing the people".

She said: "The SDLP has consistently said this budget is not fit for purpose.

"We have used all means possible in the Executive and Assembly to improve what is on the table. We are now trying to amend the final bill," she said.

"As it stands this DUP/Sinn Fein/Alliance budget if passed in its current form would mean more than 9,000 public service job losses, a pay freeze for almost 7,400 civil servants earning less than the average industrial wage and the potential introduction of a hike student fees.

"Like thousands of others the SDLP believe this budget contains no plans for job creation, is lacking in a vision for economic recovery and is not based on any programme for government.

"Our amendment will ask the Finance Minister to revise his current proposals to raise additional revenue

"The SDLP believe that these amendments are necessary to provide greater support for the school building and maintenance programmes and to guarantee that any public sector redundancies will not be compulsory.

"It is quite clear that if these changes are not made then the SDLP will not be able to support a budget that will let down and hurt the people of Northern Ireland," she said.

Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionist Mike Nesbitt has also highlighted what he claimed is the failure of Finance Minister Sammy Wilson "to properly fund Invest NI as final proof that the last four years of devolved government at Stormont is a story of shambles, spin and lack of delivery".

"The Ulster Unionist party are committed to getting Stormont working for everyone, and that means getting the country open for business again as soon as possible," he commented today.

(BMcC/GK)