SF calls for parties to unite against proposed Conservative cuts
All parties in the North need to unite against British government cuts, Sinn Féin said today.
Greater powers over the local economy need to be granted to the Stormont Assembly and all parties must face down efforts to reduce the amount of money available to fund public services, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said.
The party launched its British general election manifesto at the Opera House in Belfast today, promising more equality for all.
Mr Adams said: "Parties who are more concerned quite understandably about what is happening in south England or north England don't give a tuppence for what is happening here.
"We need to build up that united front that will face the British Government, particularly on cuts.
"We need to be opposing that in a thoughtful, strategic way but in a united way with all the parties coming together under the tutelage of the First Minister (Peter Robinson) and Deputy First Minister (Martin McGuinness)."
Mr Adams refused to say who he wanted to win the closely contested Westminster race.
Sinn Féin's coalition partner, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has claimed that David Cameron's Conservatives would impose a £200m (€230.45m) budget reduction, an allegation which the Tories deny.
Mr Adams dismissed speculation on projected cuts as "Alice in Wonderland" thinking.
But he said politicians in the North had been reduced to being "accountants" with little control over the levers of fiscal policy.
The West Belfast MP added that politics in the North was in a state of flux where everyday issues like the economy were becoming more important.
"If Sinn Féin is right about that, you are going to see that developing in the upcoming period," he said.
The DUP is also keen to protect the North block grant against any cuts imposed by Westminster and has heavily criticised Mr Cameron after he queried the size of the public sector in the region.
Mr Adams said: "David Cameron laid bare the real agenda behind Tory policy in the north, cuts in public services and in our standard of living and the British Labour Party has a similar agenda.
"Slashing public services, allowing unemployment to soar and increasing poverty is not an option to us.
"The Unionists and the SDLP and the smaller parties need to unite with us against the cuts, the next British government, whatever its make-up, should be faced with a united opposition by all of the local parties."
Sinn Féin restated its aspiration of achieving Irish unity including holding a referendum and broadening all-Ireland co-operation on matters like economic development and the provision of services.
It also outlined pledges in its manifesto to continue to restructure education, where attempts to abolish selection for primary school pupils have met bitter opposition from unionists.
Other pledges included:
* Pursue an all-Ireland suicide prevention strategy.
* More funding for child cancer services.
* Continue to challenge "abusive and negligent or unprofessional" policing.
* "Politically driven" organisations like secret service MI5 and the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) have no place in Ireland and must go.
* There should be a full public inquiry into the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane by loyalists in 1989.
* Strong legislation to tackle sectarianism, racism and other hate crime.
* Support for a public inquiry to investigate the extent of historical institutional and clerical abuse. Full support for the right of survivors to seek redress.
* An enforceable right to housing in a Bill of Rights for the North.
* Harmful emissions must be reduced by 30% from the 1990 level by 2020. An increased focus needs to be placed on low carbon, energy efficient affordable housing.
