FINANCE

Spokesperson: Seamus Close MLA

Last updated: 1 May 2004

Sectarianism costs us money, not only in dealing with its violent manifestations, but in everyday life. The ‘separate but equal’ mindset requires duplicate facilities in our education, health and social services. This wastes money that could be used to improve the quality of services for us all. Addressing sectarianism, first and foremost, could generate the greatest savings in public expenditure.

Alliance accepts that the Executive has only limited financial resources at its disposal. The windfall from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the continuation of European Structural Funds until 2006 reflects a somewhat artificial position. In the long term, the Barnett Formula erodes the advantages in public expenditure of the Northern Ireland Administration. Therefore, there is a responsibility upon the Executive to spend resources wisely, to invest in the future, and to prioritise addressing the causes (rather than the immediate symptoms) of problems.

Any reform will require phasing in over a number of years, and Alliance would embark upon negotiations with key stakeholders.

MANIFESTO PLEDGES (2003 NI Assembly)

• Lobby the UK Government for tax-varying powers. This will give the Assembly a greater ability to reflect the democratic wishes of local people and to have the capability to offer tax incentives to stimulate local economic growth.
• Reform the local rating system. We would abolish the regional rate, and replace it with a method based on ability to pay, e.g. a local income tax.
• Tax ownership instead of occupation. This will increase the tax base and discourage the under-use of vacant property.
• Implement the fairest options to pay for water costs. EU Directives will require directly-linked payments for these costs. However, the recent Government policy initiative was disingenuous; it has an obligation to improve the infrastructure before seeking any reform of the finance and business model of the service.
• Introduce a social partnership approach to strategic planning of infrastructure projects in Northern Ireland. We will amend legislation so that the Strategic Investment Board contains business, voluntary and community sector stakeholders.
• Promote the greater use of electronic delivery of public services, and the greater accessibility of the public to Information Technology. This includes the application of e-planning. We will set targets focused on higher public usage of e-Government.
• Decentralise more civil service jobs away from Greater Belfast, where there is an economic advantage for relocation.
• Reform charity law in Northern Ireland. We would also add, as a defined charitable purpose, ‘the promotion of peace and reconciliation and good community relations in Northern Ireland’.
• Award rate relief to tourism business. Alliance recognises the importance of tourism as a growing sector of employment in our economy. Rates are a significant direct cost to hotels and pubs.
• Lobby the UK Exchequer to re-establish the link between the state pension and average earnings. This is the fairest means of ensuring long-term confidence in its value.

Policy Papers

Northern Ireland: A Can Do Place (PDF) or view as a webpage (HTML)

CONSULTATION RESPONSES