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My Week

Posted by Sammy Wilson, MP for East Antrim, at 11:14, Wed 20 October 2010:

Not unusually the past week has been dominated by the forthcoming spending announcement and its implications for N.I. Along with other finance ministers and ministers from the Executive there have been discussions with the treasury ministers about money which we believe should be included in any settlement for N.I. including the money needed to deal with the PMS. Despite the fact that I am a total technophobe I have been converted to the use of video conferencing, tele conferences as well as the use of the good old telephone. Apart from the savings in air fares the time which they save in travelling is immense. Used properly across government, technology could make a huge difference, even for firms wishing to get into export markets investment in this technology by government could be a great step forward.

Not having to fly back and forward to London gave me time to meet with numerous groups who wanted to talk to me about their views on the forthcoming budget, their fears and some of their solutions. All of the engagements were worthwhile, measured, thoughtful and helpful even if we did not always agree. There has also been a media frenzy as the day of destiny for our finances approaches, and reporters seek a headline about specific cuts which of course it is not possible to give much to their disappointment.

I even had the bonus of hearing for the first time how Sinn Fein want to address the financial problems we are going to face. Ironically they made their announcement on the day the miners trapped 2000ft below ground in Chile, finally made it to the surface. I thought there were certain parallels between the Chilean miners finally seeing the light of day after weeks in darkness and the economic light of day finally dawning on the Shinners who had voluntarily hidden in an economic cavern rather than face financial reality. Mind you their proposals are for the fairies dreamt up in Sinn Fein’s financial fantasy world but at least they are recognising there is a problem which needs to be faced, that is progress.

In the middle of all this I had the delightful task and honour of speaking at the prize distribution at Grosvenor Grammar School where I had taught for twenty years. The school lays bare the lies which the education minister bandies about grammar schools. It is socially mixed with 30% of eligible pupils qualifying for educational maintenance allowances, alongside its pursuit of academic excellence it gives the pupils a wide range of opportunities to engage and excel in music, drama, sport, charitable activities, while at the same time achieving top class academic qualifications. The amazing thing is that if she had her way the education minister would destroy schools like this in order to pursue her dogmatic 1960’s left wing ideology. Thankfully the safeguards which the DUP insisted be built into devolution arrangements prevent her from obtaining her goal and even better there will be an election in eight months and we will have the chance to rid education of this destructive, incompetent and disastrous minister for good.

As I said in my speech to the pupils and their parents, they were leaving school to go into an economic world which was harsher than it had been since the 1970s. While we did not face the violence, unemployment, and political uncertainty which pupils faced in my first year of teaching in 1975 nevertheless they were going to face fewer job prospects, higher costs for university courses, and greater financial uncertainty because of the economic mistakes made by bankers, politicians and regulatory institutions. It seemed unfair and it probably was but life is often like that.

However this recession will not go on forever. By making the right decisions now even though they may be hard and harsh we can work our way to a brighter economic future one in which those young people and thousands like them across N.I. can use their talents, apply their skills and qualifications and find an outlet for their drive and enthusiasm.

Even amidst the gloom of the present there is still news of new jobs, investment and prospects. Getting the right decisions on how we spend our reduced budget can build on the foundations already laid and ensure that the generation of young people leaving our schools will have opportunities to a productive and prosperous future in N.I.

Speaking to these young people last Wednesday I felt more than ever the real burden and responsibility which I and other members of the Executive have, to think carefully, behave responsibly and act creatively as we work through the budget process for N.I. We will have to take unpopular decisions, not easy in an election year, but the alternative is to abrogate our responsibility to young people such as I addressed on Wednesday, and to the wider electorate who will be affected by the decisions we take or even worse don’t take.