UNIONIST COMMUNITY BEST SERVED UNDER DEVOLUTION
East Antrim DUP MLA Alastair Ross has said that the Unionist community in Northern Ireland is best served under devolution, and Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom is more secure with local politicians in charge.
Commenting this morning, Mr Ross said,
“The Northern Ireland Assembly is no panacea, and mandatory coalition is a far from perfect way to form an Executive, but it is significantly better than the alternative of direct rule. Even Unionists who have not been life long devolutionists in their ideology recognise that a devolved Assembly provides a tailored local response to issues and is far more accountable to local people.
Having a Northern Ireland Assembly means that local politicians can take decisions that are in the best interests of our part of the United Kingdom, because we want to see Northern Ireland become the best region of the UK and because we are directly accountable to the people of Northern Ireland. Direct rule Ministers will suffer no electoral consequences for taking decisions that are not in the interests of Northern Ireland and will always take decisions that best serve the Government of the day, irrespective of the impact on us.
Who in the Unionist community could honestly claim that Unionism has been well served under direct rule? Do they forget about the style of Secretaries of State such as Peter Hain? Do they not recognise that direct rule would have introduced a costly and divisive Irish Language Act, abolished academic selection, pushed ahead with delivering 7 super councils and in the process hand the west of the Province to republicans?
The Assembly may have issues to resolve, but we have been able to deliver for older people in terms of free transport, rates relief, fuel payments and the creation of an old peoples advocate. For small businesses we have put the economy at the centre of our Programme for Government, frozen the regional rate, brought forward a small business rates relief scheme and capped manufacturing rates.
For each and every householder in Northern Ireland the Assembly has deferred water charges and frozen the domestic regional rate which results on the average household being £1300 better off. Loyal Orders have seen new compensation arrangements brought in, seen Orange Halls de-rated and an additional £1million of funding which has helped some 40 halls.
Politics in Northern Ireland is never easy, and there is much work still to do in relation to reforming the institutions at Stormont, making the economy stronger, addressing educational underachievement and realising the peaceful and prosperous future that we all want to see. There will undoubtedly be difficult times ahead, but at least a devolved Assembly in local hands allows us to control our own destiny and take decisions that are best for Northern Ireland.”
