DEVOLUTION: NESSUN ACCORDO ALL’ORIZZONTE
Sì è concluso con un ‘non accordo’ l’incontro a Downing Street tra Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness e il Primo Ministro britannico Gordon Brown
“Ci aspettiamo che Gordon Brown faccia la cosa giusta finanziariamente e credo che sia nostra la responsabilità di trovare un accordo”, aveva dichiarato Martin McGuinness prima del meeting di oggi.
Propositi svaniti nel nulla, anche se i leaders nordirlandesi hanno dichiarato ai reporters di aver compiuto passi in avanti.
Ci si aspettava da Brown una risposta alla richiesta di coprire il deficit di bilancio stimato in circa 600 milioni di sterline, gap finanziario che la Tesoreria non è riuscita a ridurre nel corso dell’estate.
Owen Paterson, portavoce nordirlandese del Conservative Party, ha avvertito che il suo partito non sarà in grado di garantire il finanziamento ai poteri di polizia e giustizia.
No agreement after policing talks (BBC News Northern Ireland)
The first and deputy first ministers have left Downing Street after talks with the prime minister about the devolution of policing and justice.
Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness told reporters that progress had been made, but there was still no overall agreement on a budget.
They also said they would have further talks with Gordon Brown in New York on Wednesday.
Talks last Wednesday ended without an overall package being agreed.
Ahead of Monday’s meeting, Mr McGuinness said it was important for the DUP and Sinn Fein to reach a deal now as there would not be a better one in the future.
“We expect Gordon Brown to do the right thing by finance and believe there is responsibility on us to strike a deal,” said the Sinn Fein MP.
The two men were expected to ask Mr Brown if he was prepared to fund a budget shortfall estimated to be about £600m.
Officials have been working over the summer on the figures but sources in Belfast said the Treasury has not narrowed the gap sufficiently.
The Conservative Party’s Northern Ireland spokesman, Owen Paterson, warned his party would not give any guarantees about the funding of policing and justice powers.
Mr Robinson had called on Tory leader David Cameron to approve any financial package offered by the prime minister, saying there was no point agreeing a package with one government when another might take over.
The Five Demands 