No reason for you to read the NI news, but the news here is reporting doomsday budgets. At this rate of going no one will have a job. I do not know if it's all for real or if everyone is just fighting for their cut, but the future is looking fairly bleak. Corporation Tax in line with the South is being promoted, but honestly, I am not sure we are capable of administering the process, or even know what corporation tax entails.
Far too high a percentage of NI's economic activity is derived from government spending. An unavoidable legacy of the troubles, but an unhealthy situation all the same. There is no future in being a chattel of central government. All regions need to generate private sector wealth and the jobs which go with it to prosper. The Government is no doubt hoping to win for NI some of the inward investment which the south attracts with its very favourable CT rate. Its a sensible move provided NI has the infrastructure and the skill base to meet the needs of businesses which might be tempted to relocate. A competitive Corporation Tax rate is a good incentive but its not the be-all and end-all. And for the local economy to benefit fully from inward investment, companies which move there need to be employing local people.
It's great to see politicians in NI having to focus on ordinary, real political issues like anywhere else nowadays. Such as how to find the money to pay for stuff voters want; or how to explain to voters how there isn't enough money to pay for stuff people would like. This is a big improvement on arguing about nothing but constitutional status, or refusing to talk to each other at all, or having to resort to violence, like they used to not so long ago. Everyone in NI should be very glad they are in a position to wrangle about Corporation Tax rates!
