People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin
Said People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin: “While the focus is on dignitaries on the way here to celebrate 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), food has been taken off the plates of tens of thousands of children this Easter.
“The decision to slash funding for ‘holiday hunger payments’ (School Holiday Fund Grants) was a callous political one that can’t be justified.
“This vicious cut alongside the cynical and reckless DUP Stormont boycott sums up the reality of progress here.
“To compound this crisis, the Secretary of State has announced the budget will contain more massive across the board cuts.
“People Before Profit calls on all political parties to demand Stormont Permanent Secretaries refuse to implement cuts on behalf of the Secretary of State.
“There’s very clear demands from the mainstream parties for the DUP boycott to end, but they also need to make clear if they will agree to implement austerity.
“If the Executive was reformed tomorrow, will they agree to implement the cuts to holiday hunger meals, the cuts to the Women’s Centre Derry and pay cuts for workers?
“This is a critical question. Stormont should not exist to be a vehicle for Tory privatisation and Tory austerity – as it has already with welfare reform, NHS outsourcing, Council cuts and workers pay.
“All Stormont political parties should pledge they will not implement budget cuts for the Tories – and begin with a clear directive to Stormont Department chiefs not to agree to force through further damaging cuts.
“Rolling over for Tory cuts will bring more of them. Implementing Tory austerity only prolongs it.
“France is showing us how to resist austerity,” added the Foyleside councillor.
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