Cuts are the main focus of McCann campaign

He said Nationalist and Unionist "unity" pacts count for nothing in the face of such cuts and that whilst all four main parties say they are against the cuts they vote for budgets which make them inevitable.

“I will use whatever clout and credibility the vote we receive gives us to help organise resistance among workers and in communities,” said Mr McCann.

“In Derry, Foyleville Home for the elderly faces imminent closure - with devastating consequences for the residents and their families. “Domiciliary care workers face cuts in their hours - while the services they provide to vulnerable people are being drastically reduced. “Ward closures at Gransha mean that people who find it very difficult to speak up for themselves are being cynically deprived of appropriate care.

“The Community Relations Council has this week described cuts in intercommunity youth work as ‘savage and short-sighted.’ These are all front-line services,” he added.

Mr McCann said all the main parties attack cuts by Ministers from other parties but defend similar actions by their own Ministers.

“Finance Minister Sammy Wilson spelt it out on January 9th last. 113.5 million cut from health; Regional Development cut by 80.5 million; Education by 73.7 million; Employment and Learning by 27.8 million; Culture by 25.9 million. And so on,” he said.

“The DUP and Sinn Fin have signed up to these cuts. The SDLP has argued against them, but offers no plan of resistance.Astonishingly, Ulster Unionist Heath Minister Michael McGimpsey has been the most vocal in denouncing the budget plan.

“And this isn’t the end of it. Whatever the result across the water, the cuts that they’ll try to impose will be even deeper and more painful. The time is now to organise a fight-back,” he said.

He said only People Before Profit offers a clear strategy and that the alliance wants to see public sector workers join with community organisations in “coordinated resistance to these attacks.”

As MP, my constituency office would be an organising centre for trades unionists in dispute and for communities campaigning for their rights,” he said.

“We ask voters this time to go beyond the Orange and the Green and come together to fight together in our common interest.”