NI Executive at Stormont 1st year Annual Report

Overall : The St Andrews arrangements have yet to be tested, but it is generally accepted (outside of the exceptional circumstances of the “academic selection” side-deal) that Ministerial autonomy has been retained. One up to Sinn Fein. Equally the achievement of a “right wing” budget was a significant achievement for DUP. One all! Whether the Ministerial Code means anything beyond hot-air may be tested by the Executive’s pressure on Margaret Ritchie’s decision. Sleaze : Peter Hain’s cajoling and bullying of the DUP to form an administration was not the threat of Water privatization or the 7 Council model, but the threat of losing Assembly salaries. Bribery is no small part of the success of Stormont – borne out by the sickening trail of sleaze outed by the Belfast Telegraph’s Investigations reporter. Jobs for the boys (and girls, wives, and offspring) rents paid to in- laws; double and treble jobbing – the whole edifice relies significantly on the grease of filthy lucre. The 108 MLAs would equate, pro rata, to 4000 MPs if applied to Westminster! (Wales needs 60 MAs for a population double ours; Scotland 129 for a population 4 times ours) and well over a thousand people are engaged in political jobbery or Agreement related employment. Segregation : The cost of segregation remains an issue with the “We look after ours; you look after yours” approach to politics to the fore. The “Shared Future” action plan was “noted” by SF/DUP (ie dumped, and castigated as a Direct Rule ‘legacy’ document). The anomaly whereby Protestant Unionist and Catholic Nationalist votes count, with non communal votes not counting remains – a massive incentive to retain communal-bloc politics. Opposition : UUP and SDLP opposition within the Executive has been muted. The SDLP’s tactic of not raising budgetary concerns in the Executive backfired as lily-livered. Alliance (themselves an “East of Province” operation), has nonetheless grown in confidence with Naomi Long impressing. PERFORMANCE : How has the Executive’s 11 Departments (yes, 11 Departments!!!) performed?

OFMDFM: A Kafkaesque myriad of “units” and “sub departments” OFMDFM has more staff than George Bush’s Ian Paisley (DUP), with Whitehouse and 10 times Alex Salmond’s equivalent Department in Scotland. As Junior Minister in a Peter Robinson to Department responsible for Equality, Paisley Jnr should have gone for his “repulsed by gays” comments. replace in May, Martin Finally, it was rudimentary poor judgement which made “Junior” the first “scalped” Minister - using the St McGuinness (SF) Andrews negotiations to promote developer led North Antrim constituency concerns and a continuing Ian Paisley Jnr, (then battery of sleaze allegations Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP) No proper scrutiny has been exercised over the ideologically driven, neo-liberal, Strategic Investment Board. Gerry Kelly (SF) The SIB Chief Executive, David Gavaghan, continues to earn more than the Prime Minister! Agriculture: If in doubt, support the farmers is the motto here. Gildernew has set out to scrap the Agricultural Workers Michelle Gildernew (SF) Wages Board – a distinctly anti-Labour move. She has had nothing to say about Rural Development. Unimpressive and, to date, largely civil service led. Culture, Arts & Leisure: The Lisburn Minister has failed to convince his party colleagues on the case for the new Long Kesh multi Edwin Poots (DUP) sports stadium; Arts funding remains low; the Irish Language Act has been ruled out; but there has been positive engagement with the GAA. An enthusiastic Minister, but low on delivery. Education: Has outlined an optimistic vision for education, proposing a later start to formal education, cross sectoral Caitriona Ruane (SF) collaboration on school estate; a broader mixed academic/vocational curriculum, the end of the 11+ and substantive transfer to take place at 14. However, Ruane’s high flown language, and the perception that her personal style is patronising, has grated with the public as well as her Committee (some of whom bait her on Creationism). Employment & Learning: A poor quality Apprenticeship programme, riddled with the same defects as the disastrous Jobskills Sir Reg Empey (UUP) programme (itself slated in the PAC in late 2005) has hopelessly flopped. Encouraging focus on R&D in HE and has invested in STEM subjects and focused degree level choices. Commitment to wider access and participation in HE is welcome. Enterprise: Main thrust of enterprise policy – a reduction in Corporation Tax to the RoI level of 12.5% was ruled out in Nigel Dodds (DUP) the Varney Review. It also ignores that few corporates pay any tax, let alone 12.5% (see TUC “The Missing Billions”) Main vehicle Invest NI fails to impress; Local Enterprise Agencies remain low key; little is done to promote manufacturing and the productive economy, NI remains an outpost the ‘spiv’ driven, debt ridden, funny money capitalist model of US/UK – part of our “Fantasy Island” economics. Environment: Minister Foster has settled the Council debate at 11 units – not joined-up “co-terminosity”, but a reasonable Arlene Foster (DUP) compromise. Withdrawal of PPS14 may lead to developer led “bungalow blitz” in the countryside. Allowed herself to be swayed by “Clan Paisley” to announce that she was “minded” to approve the private sector Causeway proposal of DUP member and developer Seymour Sweeney, but had the good sense to backtrack later. Alone in the UK, she has not required developers to contribute to social housing as recommended in the Semple Report. Foster has been measured but has not engaged with the key demand of the Green lobby for an Environmental Protection Agency. Finance & Personnel: Brought in what Iris Robinson describes as a “unionist driven” and “right wing” budget with cost Peter Robinson (DUP) minimization tactics such as 3% “efficiencies” and 23 balkanised PSA’s (Public Service Agreements) borrowed straight from HM Treasury. A vast capital Investment Strategy sees Robinson content to use the failed PFI/PPP mechanisms, a poor VFM option, long term. Workforce 2010 sees a wholesale sell-off of public property whilst the Executive Investment Strategy is hitched to an aggressive programme of marketisation Health: Accused by Health Committee Chair Iris Robinson of “running the Health Service like Michael Foot” Michael McGimpsey McGimpsey has made a solid start. The structural review outcome of a single authority cannot be faulted (UUP) unless one proposes that the DHSS retains central authority. The Bamford Report on Mental Health remains a dead letter, with mental health funding allocated only 8% of the budget compared to the UK average of 12%. PFI still prevalent in Health/Hospital capital procurement. Regional Development: Able Minister made a sure footed start with clear announcement to rule out privatization of water; but has Conor Murphy (SF) not as yet followed up to ensure that the private sector governance imperatives of the “Go-Co” NI Water are addressed. Usefully facilitated the Public Ports with commercial powers – although this was a “read across” UK measure. The Alpha & Omega project continues to drives a coach & horses through the public service ethos. Needs to control the detail. Social Development: Had the gumption to stop the UDA money, and faces an argument about which legal advice to follow Margaret Ritchie (SDLP) (Executive legal advice was contrary; her Departmental advice backed her decision).Made a strong case to ensure a social housing budget – but will find difficulty spending it this year and needs to get to grips with the performance of the social housing programme. No new “Supporting People” housing budget for people with special needs.

Labour 5 Anti-Sleaze Demands: Slimmed down Assembly of 36 MLAs (2 per constituency); No double jobbing MPs, MEPs or MLAs; 7 (instead of 11) Departments; Slimmed down local government with 11 councils and 240 councillors; End to Strategic Investment Board and End to poor-VFM Private Finance procurement.

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