Brown 'has no extra cash' for NI

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/6648781.stm

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Health Minister Michael McGimpsey says he is not hopeful Gordon Brown will give the power-sharing executive extra resources to tackle its priorities.

Mr McGimpsey believes the chancellor will not be focussing on the needs of people in Northern Ireland.

The Ulster Unionist minister, whose new department has the largest budget, was speaking on the BBC's Inside Politics.

"He (Mr Brown) is not Tony Blair, he doesn't have the same emotional investment in Northern Ireland."

Mr McGimpsey told the BBC programme: "I think that Gordon is focussed purely on his premiership and that's about the upcoming election and the voters on the mainland are what concerns him, not the voters in Northern Ireland.

"I think that Brown has no reason to give us extra money and, as far as I can see, there's no extra money there.

"We're on our own - it's the block grant and it's dealing with resources that we can see."

'Disappointed'

DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness met Mr Brown earlier this month to discuss a financial package for Northern Ireland, ahead of the restoration of devolved government on 8 May.

Afterwards, Mr Paisley, now Northern Ireland's first minister, said he was disappointed with the negotiations.

However, on 7 May, Mr McGuinness - now the deputy first minister - hinted that the chancellor's financial package might be increased and that talks were continuing.