Peddling False Impressions over Financial Package ‘Counterproductive’ - Beggs
Stormont Finance Committee member, and East Antrim MLA, Roy Beggs Jnr, has voiced his disappointment that, as the Executive meets for the first time today, the final details of the financial package remain unresolved.
In a statement, the UUP MLA said: “Two parties have been guilty of peddling false impressions and unwisely raising expectations. Firstly, from the Secretary of State, that considerable new money would be in place; and secondly, from the DUP, that the finances could be improved upon before the executive met. Neither statement is borne out by the facts.
“The bottomline is that as the Executive meets today there appears to be a hole in the finances.
“The DUP held up the financial package as a precondition for entering the executive and last week even threatened to stay away from Stormont. The fact is that DUP Ministers who were in negotiations have not as yet revealed any full and final package. Meaningless spin from No 11 has been aggravated by more meaningless spin from Dundela Avenue.
“Where the DUP’s unilateral approach failed, I hope the Executive’s collective approach can succeed. We have always believed that the more forceful argument could be made to the Chancellor by a united Executive acting corporately on behalf of Northern Ireland.”