Prime Minister is marginalising NI with part-time Ministers - Maginnis
UUP Peer Lord Maginnis today said that Tony Blair is marginalising Northern Ireland with Part Time Ministers. In a statement he said,
“It is appalling that the PM has chosen to appoint yet another part time Minister to Northern Ireland. Once again, he is appears happy to marginalise one region of the United Kingdom. With his adoption of such a cavalier approach one must wonder why, and what is afoot that the mercurial Secretary of State Hain is about to impose by Diktat.
It does not go unnoticed that the Lord Rooker, who has given a personal and public guarantee that no ’secret deals’ are in the bag or will be tolerated by him, has been moved out.
The Secretary of State tells us that Mr Cairns will be ‘driving forward the reform agenda following the Review of Public Administration’ but what faith should the people of Northern Ireland have that important issues in Agriculture, Environment or Regional Development will be addressed by a part time Minister?
Northern Ireland has already had three Agricultural Ministers within the last three years - something which has not helped the difficulties of our local farmers locally or in Brussels.
This added to the three-minister approach to Educational reform that will inevitably tarnish the jewel in the crown - old labour ideology at the expense of our children’s future.
As we have seen from the Secretary of State himself, no man can be in two places at any one time. Yet the Prime Minister expects Minister Cairns to divide his time between London, Edinburgh and Belfast.
Whilst the PM strips his Deputy of all Ministerial responsibility while remaining on full pay he instructs others to take on further responsibilities within Government, but at a distance.
What is the PM’s logic? Unionists cannot be blamed for making assumptions that ‘dirty deals’ are afoot. Ulster Unionists, in particular, cannot do other than wonder who is acquiescent in such an abject betrayal.”