NI Conservatives have claimed that the main reason the Northern Ireland economy is lagging behind the rest of the UK is the ineptitude of the Stormont Executive.
“The recent monitoring round fiasco is hugely detrimental to the economy. Tens of millions that had been scheduled to be injected into Northern Ireland this year have not been spent”, according to Mark Brotherston, NI Conservatives’ spokesman. “£35 million was due to be spent on regional stadia, £10 million on a gas extension project, £10 million on the much announced Regional Children’s Hospital and £120 million on building roads – all of this has been postponed due to mismanagement by the DUP/SF led Executive.”
“Think of the impact this spending could have had. It is well known that one of the best and quickest ways to boost jobs and growth is through construction spending.”
Mr Brotherston went on to claim that the contrast between David Cameron’s Conservative led coalition and the one at Stormont could not be starker.
“The Conservatives are making the tough decisions and driving the recovery at a national level, Robinson and McGuinness seem incapable and incompetent. They can only balance the books by postponing vital infrastructure projects.”
“In addition their failure to resolve the endless disputes on flags and parades – indeed their willingness to stoke up arguments on these issues - has led to waves of poor publicity for Northern Ireland.”