McCann blasts budget move

As reported in our sister paper the News Letter, the spending plan for the next year was approved by the First and Deputy First Ministers under the emergency powers after a row at the Executive stopped it being discussed.

But Mr McCann said the use of emergency powers to pass the budget will effectively mean a raft of cuts contained in it will be imposed by stealth.

"The cuts in public spending should be the top issue in this election," said the civil rights veteran.

"They will affect every citizen, particularly those in a vulnerable position and most dependent on State services."

He said fighting cuts will be the main promise of the PBP campaign and that resistance must be organised at grass roots level to defend every job and fight every cut.

"That's what we are about. We are the only party in the field offering a strategy for turning back the right-wing economic agenda being pursued by the Executive and particularly by the two major parties," said Mr McCann.

"The fact that the two parties (DUP and Sinn Fein) have also met in private to discuss the introduction of water charges is nothing short of a disgrace.

"The only way to defeat water charges will be a mass campaign of non-payment."