Rough Times Ahead........

Cotta

duggan1 wrote: »

Local politicians being unable/unwilling to make cuts in line with the rest of the UK.

Same old problem of elected politicians not wanting to take unpopular decisions for fear of losing their job at the next election.

The general idea behind cyclical spending is that as economies tend to run in cycles you borrow more when things aren't so good, with the plan being to pay it all back when things get better. When things were pretty damn good in the mid naughties the govt kept spending and kept borrowing and the cyclical downturn was magnified by a general global financial crisis. The cost of running services that no politician will put at risk is sky rocketing and it is increasingly difficult to compete with SE Asia and eastern europe for the low skilled job investment that can prop up an economy.

We can't afford the NHS in it's current state. It is draining the country dry and affecting spending in every other department. The NHS is a modern wonder of the world but it is abused daily both by people who use it's resources when they don't need to and by management who are encouraged to run it as a private enterprise.

TL:DR - We're broke.

What cuts are they proposing?

duggan1

Cotta wrote: »

What cuts are they proposing?

The specific issue is welfare reform or lack thereof.

Northern Ireland gets a block grant from Westminster, which actually required stormont to make less cuts than the rest of the UK. However because they haven't passed the welfare reform bill there are fines put in place by the treasury to the value of what welfare reform would have saved.

Sinn Fein are refusing to pass the bill because they don't agree with the cuts, and because they can't be seen to be making cuts in the north while opposition to austerity is their big thing in the south. ie Gerry says no.

At the end of the day it will likely mean the collapse of the executive here which in my opinion will be no bad thing.

irishjohn

This may help explain the intricacies of our collective purse to pay our collective bills. And how much is put in and where it comes from.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/debateni/blogs/liam-clarke/sinn-fein-and-the-fantasy-economics-that-dont-add-up-30652785.html

warmhands.coldheart

Cotta wrote: »

This may seem like a silly question but what has caused this debt and what is being proposed as the solution?

Poor financial and resource planning....

Not implementing welfare reform (Sinn Fein have blocked)

Not allowing the National Crime Agency to operate with in Northern Ireland (Sinn Fein have blocked as they would not be accountable to the policing board so PSNI have to pick up their duties at OUR cost.. NCA is centrally funded...)

Policing "Protest"camps, bonfires and 5500 parades each year (Millions per year spent unnecessarily )

Policing and funding the past (HET, and every victims group under the sun is costing millions)

Not Introducing Water Charges.. We pay a fraction for our water service compared to the rest of the UK, It's essentially subsidised.. (This is NOT just clean water to your door. it's all the sewage systems etc too)

Too many people working in the Public Sector and too many highly paid "Managers" doing sod all....

Cotta

warmhands.coldheart wrote: »

Poor financial and resource planning....

Not implementing welfare reform (Sinn Fein have blocked)

Not allowing the National Crime Agency to operate with in Northern Ireland (Sinn Fein have blocked as they would not be accountable to the policing board so PSNI have to pick up their duties at OUR cost.. NCA is centrally funded...)

Policing "Protest"camps, bonfires and 5500 parades each year (Millions per year spent unnecessarily )

Policing and funding the past (HET, and every victims group under the sun is costing millions)

Not Introducing Water Charges.. We pay a fraction for our water service compared to the rest of the UK, It's essentially subsidised.. (This is NOT just clean water to your door. it's all the sewage systems etc too)

Too many people working in the Public Sector and too many highly paid "Managers" doing sod all....

You can't really lay all of the blame at Sinn Fein though can you?

warmhands.coldheart

Cotta wrote: »

You can't really lay all of the blame at Sinn Fein though can you?

I'm not, It's ALL of them.. just listing some of the issues and who's the main protagonists.... Don't see the DUP condemning the £40,000+ spent each night policing Twaddell Avenue... this when £30,000 was knocked of the Belfast Culture Night funding, an event that brought thousands into town which is now in jeopardy... Shameful really...
As for Sinn Feinn, as was also stated Sinn Fein can't exactly say one thing in Northern Ireland and another in the south !!
Also who wants to take unpopular and very hard decisions when there is a UK Parliamentary election in May next year and

Cotta

I'm not convinced water charges are a good idea considering how hard pressed most working families are and I also don't believe that current rates represent value for money.

warmhands.coldheart

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30124485
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30126298

Cuts, cuts and more cuts......

This was always going to happen... they've had 5 or 6 years to plan for this but it was easier to stick their heads in the sand.... now the proverbial has hit the fan and they come across all surprised..... P1$$ poor financial planning by our so called leaders.....

Watch this space.... I've no doubt there's more to come...

warmhands.coldheart

:think: :think: :think: Hmmmmmmmmmm

Guess where the most savings can be made!!!!!!!!!!

qwert_yuiop

I'm amazed the cut has been as little as 1.6%. After the next election I'd expect it to be deeper.