Speaking after a briefing from trade unions on the weekend’s news, ICTU Assistant General Secretary Gerry Murphy said:
The restoration of the NI Executive and Assembly, 7 months ago now, brought much needed stability and boosted confidence for everyone invested in our future as a functioning regional democracy. This weekend we have seen three hard knocks delivered to that stability and confidence.
The delay and confusion created by the UK government over support for Casement, our four city deals and the continuing uncertainty over the futures of Spirit and Harland & Wolff are deeply troubling.
After promises that the Westminster government would invest in the symbolically important Casement Park redevelopment in time for the 2028 Euro Championships and the pledges for ‘city deals’ to attract investment into ‘left behind areas’, this is all too reminiscent of the bad faith actions of the previous Tory government. We have a right to expect better from a Labour administration.
The new Secretary of State Hilary Benn will say, with some justification, that the UK financial situation is worse than expected, and that the UK Budget on 30 October will contain unpleasant decisions that will affect all parts of the UK, and that few pledges are being made by any government minister in advance of the Chancellor’s announcement.
Nonetheless, those of us who embrace change are disappointed with the broader message. That big, transformational, symbolically important projects are not for this regional economy, and even the historical legacy of shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing is subject to the whims of huge multinational lenders and corporations.
While hope and confidence can maintain the status quo, the energy for real change needs to come from political leadership. It is about time that we had a Secretary of State ‘for’ Northern Ireland, and not a SoS ‘to’ this underdeveloped region.
