I was on the Nolan Show earlier discussing the fact that the Assembly has agreed to (again) defer water charges – preferring to absorb the cost into the DRD budget – and failing to (once again) make any real move towards taking any local accountability for water and sewage services.
I was on with a chap who, interestingly, thought that the UK Treasury should foot the bill for NI Water out of the bottomless pit of quantitative easing budget (I kid you not). He obviously overlooked the facts that 1) quantitative easing has ceased; 2) it was designed to keep our gilt yields low; and 3) I don’t think it can be re-allocated to Northern Ireland Water. Lefies eh. Bless ‘em.
He also missed the fact that the UK’s debt is currently over £1 Trillion.
Not my best performance but hopefully you get the gist.
Just checked. My monthly water bill in SE England two years ago was £22 while my bill here (with farm rates) is £7.50! And thinking about domestic rates, my council tax in England was £2250 a year compared with £950 a year in Northern Ireland. Add in no prescription charges and moving was a good idea for my bank account but something isn’t adding up in the public finance area.
You’re right Ralph. The consensus policy among the tribal parties here is to heap spend into the departments and then use this as a stick to beat up the Treasury for block grant.
Well said Jeff. People need to wake up and not prove Harold Wilson right when he called us all spongers.
Showing your age Philip. We must do that coffee.