Wilson: SF's pseudo-anger over Irish masks fear of tough choices

Former finance minister Sammy Wilson made the claim following the publication of a briefing paper which sets out the bleak financial position facing public services here.

The Department of Finance took the step of publishing the briefing paper, which would ordinarily have been circulated only among politicians and officials. It sets out the tough choices facing departments over the coming two years.

Mr Wilson told the News Letter that the document “probably confirms the main reason why Sinn Fein have refused” to form an Executive.

“We obviously knew there were hard decisions ahead for any administration,” the East Antrim MP said.

“That paper probably confirms the main reason why Sinn Fein have refused and found every excuse not to get back into government, because they do know that there are hard economic decisions to make. They don’t want to make them.

“It does illustrate and probably confirm the view which we have been expressing over the last year, that all of this pseudo-anger about the Irish language, etcetera is only a cover for Sinn Fein’s fear of having to be in government and having to make these hard decisions.”

The former finance minister put that “fear” down to left-wing political opposition.

“There are two reasons why they don’t want to do it,” he said. “They are getting it in the neck from People Before Profit and from the left wing of their own party, from the SDLP who had the luxury of not being in government and being free to criticise, and from the Republic of Ireland where they are telling people that they could be in government and wouldn’t impose austerity measures.”

He added: “They know they couldn’t duck those measures if they were in power in Northern Ireland.”

Sinn Fein, meanwhile, put the blame for the bleak picture painted by the civil service briefing paper down to “Tory austerity”, something they said the DUP had “signed up to”.

Former finance minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said: “The paper clearly shows that Tory austerity, which has already taken over a billion pounds out of our public services, is set, as we have warned, to continue unabated. Shamefully, the DUP has signed up to this Tory austerity agenda.

“We have only just seen the document and will take time to study it in detail but it can be taken as read that Sinn Fein will continue to oppose any cuts that impact on our public services and communities. These are cuts being imposed by the Tories and supported by the DUP but I do not believe they are justifiable or acceptable.”

The South Belfast MLA added: “The DUP had an opportunity to end austerity. Instead it propped up a Tory government determined to impose vicious cuts.”