SDLP Stormont Leader and Public Finance Spokesperson Matthew O’Toole MLA has said that proposed revenue raising measures being consulted on by the Secretary of State will cause alarm in households across Northern Ireland already struggling to make ends meet.

The SDLP has previously written to the Secretary of State and party leaders proposing a ‘public finance triple lock’ to bring the North’s finances onto a sustainable footing.

Matthew O’Toole MLA said:

“The measures that the Secretary of State is consulting on today will clearly cause widespread concern, particularly in households where people are struggling to make ends meet.

“The failure to bring the North’s public finances onto a stable footing, however, is shared not just by the Executive but by the British Government which has singularly failed to invest in public services and those who operate them over the course of decades.

“The SDLP understands that Northern Ireland cannot continue on its current financial trajectory. But using revenue raising as a scarcely concealed stick to beat the DUP back into government is hardly strategic or ethical. Our proposal for a public finance Triple Lock would allow us to protect public services, get ourselves back on a sound financial footing, make the most of any investment coming our way, all while ensuring that we don’t end up back in this same position in future."