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(ir 1.05 eUrO) Thursday, march 22, 2012

The pride of Northern Ireland

www.newsletter.co.uk

Since 1737

BUDGET 2012
INSIDE: FULL COVERAGE ON PAGES 13-16

iNsiDe

Get real on tax, warns Paterson

BY sam mcBriDe Political Correspondent
sam.mcbride@newsletter.co.uk

UUP leadership candidate John McCallister answers your questions

SEE PAGE 8

IN THE HOT SEAT

SeCReTARY of State Owen Paterson last night told local politicians to take a more mature approach to economics after they criticised aspects of the Budget. Branding some responses from Northern Irelands politicians to the Budget as nonsense and pathetic, Mr Paterson said that local parties had to get beyond always calling for tax to be cut but never saying where they would cut public services to balance the books. Yesterday Chancellor George Osbornes decision to cut tax for the wealthiest from 50 per cent to 45 per cent was branded shameful by the SDLP . DUP Finance Minister Sammy Wilson, who recognised the difficult task facing the Chancellor, said it was pernicious that regional public sector pay levels would be introduced across the UK effectively cutting public sector salaries here in years to come. Alliance MP Naomi Long said she was disappointed at a 3p a litre increase in petrol and diesel duty. Sinn Feins Conor Murphy said it seemed there was little relief for those on benefits and low pay and claimed it was an attempt to rebalance the economy of the island of Britain with no regard to its effects here. The only Stormont party that broadly supported the Budget was the UUP though it also , opposed the regional public sector pay.

Latimer hails sF sorry call

A PReSBYTeRIAN Minister who praised Martin McGuinness has hailed a controversial Sinn Fein statement which called on republicans to recognise the healing influence of saying sorry. Rev Dr David Latimer of First Derry Presbyterian Church caused controversy in September when he told Sinn Feins annual conference that Martin McGuinness was one of the great leaders of modern times. earlier this month Sinn Turn to page 12

Poppy Day report claim

Northern ireland secretary of state Owen Paterson is greeted by Us secretary of state Hillary Clinton at the state Department in Washington PiCTUre: manuel Balce Ceneta Speaking from Washington, where he is promoting Northern Ireland to business leaders and senior US politicians, Mr Paterson said: The other parties have got to tell us how we reduce the deficit. Were borrowing 232,000 a minute. Its very easy to say we should drop this [tax] and drop that and drop the other. They never ever come back and say how those reductions will be paid for. By doing what weve done, weve saved British taxpayers 36 billion in debt interest. When it was put to Mr Paterson that Sinn Feins Conor Murphy had said the Budget provided little relief for those on benefits and low pay, the Secretary of State said: Well, thats pathetic, to say theres no relief. Turn to page 13

The historical enquiries Team report into the enniskillen Poppy Day massacre will say that the IRA also tried to bomb a youth parade only a few miles away on the same day, it is claimed. TUV leader Jim Allister made the claim last night as he accused Sinn Fein of causing delays in the heT investigation into the atrocity by pressing for an end to former RUC officers being hired as agency staff. Mr Allister said the heT report into the enniskillen bombing is likely to confirm Turn to page 12

IFA chiefs hopeful of resolution to Irish Cup row SEE SPORT