Seven council model amounts to Government-sponsored Inequality - Wilson
Ulster Unionist Spokesperson on the Review of Public Administration, Jim Wilson, has called on government to take account of the broad swathe of support the UUP’s Belfast City council motion gained – and to ultimately rethink a policy that is overwhelmingly opposed by the vast majority of elected representatives here.
Speaking at a Party divisional meeting in Omagh this evening, the South Antrim MLA warned that the seven-council model was a phoney formula that effectively repartitions Northern Ireland.
Prior to the meeting, Mr Wilson said: “It was an Ulster Unionist Minister that set the Review of Public Administration in train. We fully back the need for reform. However, since picking up the baton three years ago, Direct Rule has run us into a sectarian cul-de-sac.
“These plans will catastrophically destabilise local administration. One section of the community will resolutely hold the balance of power West of the Bann – with the views of Unionists swamped by super-sized republican-led authorities. This is no template for effective administration.
“Opposition to seven councils is not exclusive to Northern Ireland representatives. Mr Hain’s predecessor as Northern Ireland secretary voiced his concerns last month.
“For those interested in preserving local identity, enhancing democratic accountability and promoting harmonious cross-community relations, the present plans are distasteful and the most unpalatable option of all. This government-sponsored inequality is emblematic of all that’s wrong with Direct Rule.”
He added: “I trust that other councils across the country will follow the example set by Belfast. In the final analysis the Minister doesn’t have the clear support of Unionists or nationalists. The irony is that the only political party willing to support British government policy is Sinn Fein.”