British Government seek to divide and conquer

national | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Thursday March 23, 2006 19:26 by Aoife - Ógra Shinn Féin

Sinn Fein Education Spokesperson Michael Ferguson commenting following the BELB meeting with Direct Rule Minister Angela Smith said,

" The British Government Direct Rule Minister Angela Smith is now trying to tell us that we are not being accurately informed by our own Education Boards and that we should make the cuts and wait on some small funding streams that may become available later".

"This is Classic British tactics at their best. Yesterday the British Secretary of State Peter Hain was threatening and bullying elected Politicians and today Angela Smith is trying to divide us by suggesting that we are being misinformed by professional board staff and that we should settle for the crumbs of the table."

" We have political unity across the spectrum in opposition to these cuts and we should not let the British government divide us. We must not do their dirty work and erode our own education system and deny our own children what they are entitled to."

" NIPSA and UNISON have publicly thrown their weight behind the political parties and united we can defend the educational entitlement of our children. The British Government must provide us with a real budget to support education and learning."