The Financial Times (£) carries a blunt warning from Bombardier, Northern Ireland’s largest employer, that it will lose its ability to invest in the province unless the end of regional aid at the behest of the EU is offset by a cut in corporation tax. This gets down to the bottom line after years of teasing on the subject. (Incidentally has any other news organisation bothered to report this? I can find nothing on line).
The FT also reports:
Long talks between the Northern Ireland executive and Treasury officials agreeing the formula to calculate the cost of cutting the rate are expected to conclude on Thursday.
What then? With both front benches at Westminster cool on a cut, will any minister in any legislature have the guts to come out and confess the idea is dead? Or suddenly, that it’s a goer for NI and a pro-Union sweetener for Scotland as the referendum campaign is launched?
Former BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London
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