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David Cameron of Britain Leaves Talks on Northern Ireland No Deal on Northern Ireland as British Leader Leaves Early
(about 14 hours later)
DUBLIN — Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain unexpectedly left negotiations on the future of Northern Ireland on Friday morning, saying there was no prospect of any imminent breakthrough on the various impasses that continue to bedevil the region after decades of violent sectarian strife. DUBLIN — Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain unexpectedly left negotiations on the future of Northern Ireland on Friday morning, saying there was no prospect of any imminent breakthrough on the various impasses that continue to bedevil the region after decades of violent sectarian strife.
It was hoped that Mr. Cameron’s presence in Belfast, the capital, and the attendance of his counterpart from Ireland, Enda Kenny, would break the various logjams over the restrictions on the flying of the British flag above the Belfast City Hall and Protestant Orange Order parades and over how to best deal with the legacies of conflict. He had been expected to remain until at least Friday afternoon. It was hoped that Mr. Cameron’s presence in Belfast, the capital, and the attendance of his counterpart from Ireland, Enda Kenny, would break the various logjams over the restrictions on the flying of the British flag at Belfast City Hall and Protestant Orange Order parades and over how to deal with the legacies of conflict. He had been expected to remain until at least Friday afternoon.
Mr. Cameron’s main bargaining tool was the amount of money he was willing to release to Northern Ireland’s government to ease its chronic budgetary shortfalls. Northern Ireland has already requested an additional 100 million pounds, or about $157 million, just to balance the books this financial year, but the region is also facing a £200 million penalty if it does not agree to a package of welfare cuts. Many observers believe that it would be unable to withstand that financial blow, impelling the collapse of its fledgling cross-sectarian government. Mr. Cameron’s main bargaining tool was the amount of money he was willing to release to Northern Ireland’s government to ease its chronic budget shortfalls. Northern Ireland has requested an additional 100 million pounds, about $157 million, just to balance the books this financial year, but the region is also facing a £200 million penalty if it does not agree to a slew of welfare cuts. Many observers believe that it would be unable to withstand that financial blow, impelling the collapse of its fledgling cross-sectarian government.
Mr. Cameron said his government had pledged almost £1 billion over the next five years, provided an agreement could be reached. But as the recriminations began in the wake of his early departure, Gerry Adams, the leader of the party Sinn Fein, said on Twitter, “2 Govts exiting after most amateurish ham fisted episode I have ever been involved in.” Mr. Cameron said his government had pledged almost £1 billion over the next five years, provided an agreement could be reached. But as the recriminations began after his early departure, Gerry Adams, the leader of the Sinn Fein, said on Twitter, “2 Govts exiting after most amateurish ham fisted episode I have ever been involved in.”
Northern Ireland relies heavily on an annual subvention from the British central government. Northern Ireland relies heavily on grants from the British central government.
“The running cost of Northern Ireland is £20 billion a year of which we contribute about £9 billion in taxes,” Eamonn Donaghy, the head of taxation at the accounting firm KPMG in Belfast, said recently in the newspaper The Belfast Telegraph. “The British taxpayer is not going to continue giving us £11 billion a year indefinitely.” “The running cost of Northern Ireland is £20 billion a year of which we contribute about £9 billion in taxes,” Eamonn Donaghy, the head of taxation at the accounting firm KPMG in Belfast, said recently in The Belfast Telegraph. “The British taxpayer is not going to continue giving us £11 billion a year indefinitely.”
Mr. Cameron said that a deal was possible and that a lot of good work had taken place. But, he said, the sticking point was financial sustainability, and local parties still had a lot of work to do in that regard. Mr. Cameron said a deal was possible and that a lot of good work had taken place. But, he said, the sticking point was financial sustainability, and local parties still had a lot of work to do on that.
“Financial help is on the table if the politicians here locally can agree the issues of flags, parades and the past and set their own budget in a way that is sustainable,” he said. “If they do those things, I stand ready — the U.K. taxpayer stands ready — to help, but it has to be help on the basis that those issues are settled.”“Financial help is on the table if the politicians here locally can agree the issues of flags, parades and the past and set their own budget in a way that is sustainable,” he said. “If they do those things, I stand ready — the U.K. taxpayer stands ready — to help, but it has to be help on the basis that those issues are settled.”
Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, said that the talks would continue but that the prime minister had seriously underestimated the difficulties in finding agreement and needed to go further.Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, said that the talks would continue but that the prime minister had seriously underestimated the difficulties in finding agreement and needed to go further.
“I don’t believe we sufficiently challenged the prime minister on what his bottom line is,” he said. “We didn’t do that because we have ourselves not been able to come to agreement — namely on the matter of welfare reform.”“I don’t believe we sufficiently challenged the prime minister on what his bottom line is,” he said. “We didn’t do that because we have ourselves not been able to come to agreement — namely on the matter of welfare reform.”