Open letter to leaders of all Stormont political parties and Sammy Wilson

Dear Minister,

I am a community worker and watched with interest yesterday as the Assembly political parties reached agreement on a draft budget despite having been at loggerheads for weeks. Given the ambiguity with which the budget was presented and the complete lack of clarity as to how the departmental budgets will function and also your commitment to a public consultation, I’m wondering if you could take a few minutes out of your hectic schedule to answer a constituent’s question.

Firstly, I'm particularly interested to know how this budget will in any way alleviate the deep social and economic inequalities that plague this place. In fact I would be interested to know if the assembly has in any way tried to unite in opposition to the paltry investment from Westminster over the next four years? Given that you and your political party have been involved in bringing the assembly down countless times over other issues, did this one not seem important enough?

Also I would like to know if the health service, which is already massively under resourced where it counts and overburdened with fat cat consultants where it doesn't count, is now set to be dismantled further? Shall I maybe start learning how to do basic surgery at home?

I would also like to know whether you and your family rely on the NHS or have private healthcare and wouldn't be affected by these decisions either way. Not that this would have impacted either way on the execution of your duties as a public servant of course ;)

Furthermore, and I apologise for demanding so much of your time as I know that over a four year term and within an assembly with more staff than Westminster it must be difficult to get a minute, but what way will the budget impact on education? In the area where I live there are kids leaving primary school regularly with the reading age of a seven year old yet it seems kids aren't worth investing in as heavily as banks. Your thoughts per chance?

And by the way, while I’ve got you a minute, will my daughter be able to go to university as I don’t earn enough a year and really cant afford £9000 and given the cuts you all seem set on implementing, by the time she finishes university she will never get a job anyway and will be unable to repay herself. Just gimme a heads up and some ideas on this one if possible.

Lastly, community groups, organisations and activists across the state are the buffer which keeps society functioning whilst you’s guys eat those cheap meals and shake your metaphoric phalluses at each other. So how much money will you be taking back out of those communities? (If I misspelt phalluses I apologise. Adult education is becoming very sparse in my area for some reason).

Oh yes and by the way, shall you all be leading from the front during this dire economic climate by taking wage cuts yourselves and maybe getting some of that expenses money back into the public purse?

Yours in complete contempt

Seán Brady

Poleglass