Devolution 'hindering NI economy'

By Jim Fitzpatrick BBC NI Politics Show

Unemployment in Northern Ireland is on the rise

Four out of five chief executives in Northern Ireland think our devolved government is hindering our economy.

That's a pretty damning indictment from a powerful lobby of an administration that only a year ago said it was putting the economy at the heart of its Programme for Government.

Not only do bosses here disbelieve our politicians when they say that the economy is top of their list of priorities, they also think that the executive is actively damaging prospects at this crucial time.

These are the headline results from a discussion and survey I chaired at Queen's University earlier this week.

The audience of around 150 consisted of the chief executives from the private, public and voluntary sector throughout Belfast.

During the evening the audience was asked a range of questions on the credit crunch and our devolved government's response to it.

Their answers were recorded instantaneously using electronic keypads.

As far as surveys go, it could be judged to be a representative sample with extremely accurate results.

The last time Queen's hosted a similar discussion was on the eve of devolution returning.

I remember the message at that time from the audience was an exhortation to the politicians to focus on the economy.

A number of political representatives were there - particularly from the DUP - and they all vowed to ensure that economics would be their priority.

They also pledged to ensure that they would not go into government without a significant economic package to underpin devolution.

Perhaps when they jumped a few weeks later for a deferral of water charges the business lobby could have been forgiven for taking subsequent commitments in the Programme for Government with a pinch of salt. But they kept faith.

Now, though, that faith is shattered.

Constitutional Wrangling

One of the panellists, a leading businessman with considerable knowledge of government and trade, commented that the problem in Northern Ireland is that politics is dominated by constitutional wrangling and not economic debate.

His strong words prompted a suggestion from the floor that he should run for office. In the end, when asked for radical local solutions to the credit crunch, the most popular proposal was the creation of a new pro-business party (43%).

Afterwards there was much discussion about this disconnection between politics and the real world where the economy is usually paramount.

But there's no reason why "real" politics has to ignore constitutional issues.

It would be pretty unreal - particularly in a place like Northern Ireland - if it did.

In Scotland, not only do these different debates on the constitution and economics co-exist, they are - as DUP politicians used to say - inextricably linked.

Click here to receive Jim's newsletter

No sooner had Gordon Brown rescued Scotland's two big banks than the pro-union lobby were crowing in Edinburgh about the impossibility of Scotland going it alone.

With Iceland bankrupt and Ireland struggling too, the "arc of prosperity" Alex Salmond once talked of was being laughed at.

Of course Salmond is a canny politician and has already found ways of turning this argument back on Labour and the unionist case. He's called for a live debate with Gordon Brown on the issue.

A "Downing Street downturn" is how the SNP is now depicting things.

Scotch broth

Nationalism, unionism, capitalism, socialism all combined in a bubbling Scottish broth.

It's a fascinating example of dynamic high-stakes politics where politicians not only argue over these huge issues and how change will affect people's lives, but they actually go about acting upon those arguments and implementing change.

A glimpse of how politics here might evolve?

On Sunday's Politics Show, we ask if the unthinkable - an early assembly Election - is now a possibility, Robin has more on that.

See you then

Jim

PS - As if things aren't bad enough for colleagues at UTV, a Daily Mirror caption has added insult to injury. The story in today's paper reports that three big shows are being axed including one called UVF Life.

Sounds like the kind of programme modern day commissioners would love.