Welfare Reforms

Making stand against one set of cuts only for it to be replaced with something worse

Mick Fealty on October 6, 2014, 8:48 am | Readers 1309

Nicely put by Newton Emerson in Saturday’s Irish News. If kids from Northern Ireland are leaving, it isn’t because of public sector austerity. Compared to other places Northern Ireland has been feather-bedded in this regard. In the Republic the Haddington Road agreement has overseen agreed cuts in public wages in an effort to save jobs, and a recruitment freeze has helped preserve the jobs of those already in public sector employment, whilst casting huge shadow over the employment prospects of …

It’s time we actually debate welfare reform

Barton Creeth on October 5, 2014, 7:43 pm | Readers 1561

After weeks of debate about welfare reform in Northern Ireland, it must be said that we haven’t actually debated welfare or reform. In fact, the argument, at its core, has been about power and responsibility, which, at this point, neither the DUP or Sinn Féin seem to want. We desperately need leadership and we’re not getting it. The debate about welfare reform should be about how to simultaneously protect the vulnerable from harsh cuts while balancing the government books. Instead, …

Miliband: Stormont parties must carry on with welfare reform…

Mick Fealty on September 25, 2014, 1:48 pm | Readers 444

It’s well worth watching Stephen Walker’s interview with Ed Miliband in Manchester for last night’s Newsline. It’s not good news for Sinn Fein who’ve been counting Macawberlike for something to turn up with regard to their hold out on the negotiated welfare reform deal: “The Labour leader said his party would abolish what he calls the “bedroom tax”, but said Stormont parties must carry on with welfare reform.” Bum. Of course that that may not be what Sinn Fein was banking. …

DUP: “Did Martin McGuinness just not listen to the Chief Medical Officer in April?”

Mick Fealty on August 24, 2014, 9:27 am | Readers 2771

Got this presser yesterday from the DUP under the byline of their Holywood based MLA Gordon Dunne. I think it’s interesting enough replicate the whole thing here without further comment… ‘Following the question being posed on a radio show this morning, the deputy First Minister rushed out a request for a meeting with the Chief Medical Officer. This follows details emerging of the impact that Sinn Fein cuts will have on the Department of Health as a result of their …