inter party talks; Northern Ireland economy

On Welfare and the Budget, reality for Stormont is acceptable

Brian Walker on December 20, 2014, 1:42 pm

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Only the rashest observer would claim that s/he has a complete understanding of the complexities of welfare payments and reform and the other details of the negotiations that are said to be reaching a climax. My feeling is that they are less about negotiations and more about accepting realities they can live with. On welfare and other public expenditure issues it hardly came as a surprise that most local politicians – and not only Sinn Fein – at first adopted …

Time for other parties to break Executive ranks as Sinn Fein sacrifices northern interests for southern ambitions

Brian Walker on December 18, 2014, 5:56 pm

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Following on from Mick, let’s begin by making the best possible case for Sinn Fein, the party which seems the most intransigent in the inter- party talks. The Conservatives’ strategy for the next five years to a produce budget surplus of £23 billion by 2019-20 is probably unsustainable, unless the rate of growth picks up dramatically. Why tamely accept it? By contrast Labour’s plan to balance only current expenditure would result in a continuing deficit of £25 billion over …