He was speaking ahead of an Alliance Assembly motion due to be debated on Tuesday (10 September), recognising the failure of austerity, the financial mismanagement by the previous UK Government, the underfunding of Northern Ireland below its level of relative need, and all of their impact on the delivery of our public services.

 

The Upper Bann MLA has said: “Alliance has consistently warned that the Executive is facing the worst set of financial circumstances in the history of devolution.

 

“Westminster austerity has squeezed public finances and services beyond recognition. That pain has been compounded by a cycle of stop-start government locally and a funding formula which does not adequately reflect Northern Ireland’s relative need.

 

“As a consequence, we have some of the worst hospital waiting lists in Western Europe, an under-resourced and overstretched police service, a housing crisis, and creaking wastewater infrastructure polluting Lough Neagh and our rivers.

 

“Continued austerity is a political choice, one we believe, as outlined in our motion, needs to be done away with. The government must now instead take steps to prioritise the investment in our public services that is so desperately needed. It can do this by reviewing the fiscal rules to prioritise investment in infrastructure and skills, and taking progressive steps to shift the burden from working people onto the super-wealthy.

 

“Locally, the Finance Minister must produce an overdue Sustainability Plan with proposals for a new funding formula and a pathway to transform services and tackle the cost of division.

 

“We recognise that the new government faces difficult choices given the mess left behind by the Conservatives. However, more economic pain and hardship, only heaped on by continuing austerity, isn’t the change that people voted for."