Statement by TUV vice-chairman Keith Harbinson:

“The failure of the Executive to agree a plan to reduce the number of Northern Ireland’s councils underscores the inability of the current system to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland. On a day when we finally see the results of the longest and most expensive inquiry in British legal history where the inordinate expense has been questioned as worthwhile, we see an example of huge expense incurred to the tax payer, only to see the outcomes unravel. This is simply scandalous, particularly in the current climate. Only a few days ago Finance Minister Sammy Wilson was underscoring the importance of Ministers securing savings. Yet here we have further evidence of the waste inherent in a form of government which is based on a sectarian carve up and grubby deals between the DUP and Sinn Fein/IRA. If there is an inability to find something to trade off for any given concession then simply no agreement is reached.  Such a modus operandi is contrary to good government, but unfortunately it is indicative of the present system and unfortunately will once again go unchallenged and largely un-noticed not least because of the media focus on the Saville Inquiry, but more importantly because of the lack of an effective opposition to hold the government to account for such waste.

“Stormont as presently constituted cannot and will not deliver good government for Northern Ireland. It is imperative that we move towards a genuinely democratic form of government.  TUV is the only party in Northern Ireland which is serious about this, and it is only by achieving this objective that we can truly build a sustainable future.”