Kennedy says real story of Budget is failure by Paisley and his partner McGuinness to get Peace Dividend from Brown
Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy MLA, has said that “though today’s Programme for Government, investment strategy and Budget represented a major effort for Dr Paisley and his partner, Martin McGuinness, they must both share a deep sense of disappointment that they were unable to get more money from Gordon Brown.”
“The First and Deputy First Minister duo may be hyping today’s events up for the media but the real story here is their failure to get more money from Gordon Brown. The Budget statement is only the beginning of a process of consultation and during the next 10 weeks of debates and forensic examination by the Committees at Stormont including the OFMDFM Committee which I chair, the lack of additional money will emerge as the big issue.”
“I am also concerned that the 6,500 jobs they are planning to create is such a long way short of the 140,000 jobs we need to create over the next ten years - just to stand still.”
“So, let us keep a sense of proportion about today’s events. I am glad the Executive is doing something at last and so soon after I put down a motion last week criticising them for doing nothing. I would extend my sympathy to Dr Paisley and his partner Mr McGuinness for their failure to extract a peace dividend from the tight-fisted Prime Minister.”