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Cameron urges full implementation of Stormont House

David Cameron has urged every party that signed up to the Stormont House Agreement to implement it in full
David Cameron has urged every party that signed up to the Stormont House Agreement to implement it in full David Cameron has urged every party that signed up to the Stormont House Agreement to implement it in full

EVERY political party that signed up to the Stormont House Agreement should implement it in full - including welfare reforms - the British prime minister has said.

David Cameron was speaking during prime minister's questions at Westminster yesterday, a day after a crucial meeting attended by the British and Irish governments and north's main parties broke up without agreement.

The fate of the Stormont House Agreement, which was hailed as resolving a range of disputes de-stabilising power-sharing in Belfast, was thrown into uncertainty after a bid to introduce welfare reforms fell in the assembly last week.

While initially backing the welfare element of Stormont House, Sinn Fin withdrew its support three months later, claiming that Executive-funded top-up schemes to protect claimants losing out under the new benefits system.

The defeat of the Welfare Reform Bill has left the Executive facing a reputed 600 million funding gap this financial year.

After Monday's meeting, the DUP issued a budget ultimatum to other parties in the Executive in a "take it or leave it" bid to resolve the dispute.

The party's deputy leader Nigel Dodds raised the issue at Westminster yesterday and said the Stormont House Agreement was signed up to by all five main parties.

"Now that it has been reneged on, certainly the welfare reform aspect, by Sinn Fin, with vulnerable people being hurt, public services hit as a result of the implementation of 2 million-a-week fines and a black hole in the Northern Ireland budget, does he agree with his Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, following the talks yesterday, that all parties that signed up to the agreement, including the SDLP and Sinn Fin, should implement it? If they fail to do so, will he take steps to preserve the integrity of the agreement?" he asked the prime minister.

Responding, Mr Cameron said: "Everyone who was party to those talks - they were exhaustive and lengthy talks, ending in an agreement - should implement that agreement in full.

"The agreement did include welfare reform. Whatever happens, we need to make sure that Northern Ireland and the assembly have a sustainable and deliverable budget, so I hope that even at this late stage people will look at what they can do to make sure that happens."

Sinn Fin's Conor Murphy last night said the budget crisis facing the Executive was created by the austerity policies of the British government at Westminster.

"It is rich for David Cameron to call on the political parties to implement the Stormont House Agreement when his government shifted the goalposts enormously by announcing plans for 25 billion in further public spending cuts," Mr Murphy said.

"These cuts were not part of any agreement. The Tories have no mandate in the north for their devastating cuts agenda. David Cameron is not a neutral observer in this. The crisis the Executive is facing has been created by the austerity policies of the Tory government."

The SDLP's Alex Attwood, meanwhile, said no party intent on resolving the welfare dispute could ignore the impact of the London budget.

"Any party that forces a Belfast budget without reference to the London budget on July 8, ill serves the full needs of our people. The DUP tabling a budget is a self-serving attempt to squeeze parties here and pressure London both on DUP terms. It does not change the character of what needs to be done. Resolving the immediate welfare issue, if can be done, can best be done with reference to future budget and welfare issues," he said.