Alliance pledges Stormont reform

Northern Ireland can witness an economic revolution if the Stormont administration is restructured to prioritise growth, the Alliance Party pledged today.

Creating a single department of the economy to deal with policy issues currently shared among ministers and introducing a major cut in corporation tax, potentially even lower than the Republic of Ireland’s, can deliver tangible recovery, leader David Ford insisted.

Launching his party’s election manifesto in east Belfast, Mr Ford also reiterated his view that water charges were needed and that parties claiming otherwise were making promises they could not keep.

Stormont’s Justice Minister said a failure to charge for vital investment in the water system meant crucial funds were being diverted from health and education.

Mr Ford said his party was confident of gaining an extra seat at the Executive in the next term, increasing its potential to make a difference.

“This is not a manifesto of changes that we want others to deliver. It’s a manifesto of changes that we want to deliver,” he told party supporters at the Park Avenue Hotel.

His party’s economy spokesman Stephen Farry said the Alliance Party would take on the challenging health portfolio if the opportunity arose during the allocation of ministries through the D’Hondt process.

“We genuinely want to make a difference in health,” he said.

“If it was there we would absolutely and definitely take it as a department.”

Mr Ford said the party’s manifesto was the “most comprehensive and ambitious” ever presented by a political party in Northern Ireland.

“I know that’s a big claim,” he said.

“But unlike many of the claims that have been made in the course of this campaign, this one is grounded in reality.”

At 148 pages and 56,000 words – in comparison to the DUP’s 32 pages and Sinn Féin’s 24 – it is certainly the most detailed manifesto yet outlined in the current election campaign.

“The manifesto sets out the steps that we would take to achieve an economic revolution for Northern Ireland,” said Mr Ford.

“Many of the economic drivers that we need to secure our recovery and transform our economic future – enterprise, skills innovation and infrastructure - are controlled by the Assembly, but are spread across departments.

“In our manifesto we call for the development of a department for the economy, as part of a comprehensive restructuring of government.

“A single department would better promote the needs of business, address barriers to economic growth and ensure joined-up working.

“Pending that restructuring, we will develop a robust inter-departmental economic strategy by the end of this year, focused on protecting and creating jobs in the short-term, and setting out a clear long-term strategy for increasing productivity and competitiveness.”

He added: “There are other levers that are currently outside the Assembly’s control.

“Alliance will continue to press for the Assembly to be granted tax-varying powers.

“With the Block Grant being set independently of the relative performance of the local economy, there is no incentive for the Executive to prioritise economic growth.

“The power to vary tax is central to the introduction of a lower rate of corporation tax in Northern Ireland, and our manifesto commits us to lowering that tax to level with, or below, that of the Republic of Ireland.”

The UK Government is keen to see corporation tax rates cut from the current 28% in Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland the rate is 12.5%. But any reduction would have to be accompanied by a proportionate cut to the region’s block grant from the Treasury.