SDLP to vote against New Budget - BBC

[factual]

Is this a sign that the SDLP are getting a bit politically cuter. if they can find one particular aspect of the budget that they object to because its bad for the people of Northern Ireland they can play a populist game and hog the headlines for a while, even if its just a very small thing that can be amended without too much bother the result would be that the SDLP would show that they can still have influence and relevance in the new Northern Ireland and pick off a few voters here and there

The SDLP shed votes to SF in each and every election for the last 15 years. Down the years the SDLP have failed to put workers on the ground while Sinn Féin have an effective local machine. The SDLP are in terminal decline. The interests of the nationalist people are inextricably bound up in the interests of Sinn Féin and the nationalist people know this and vote accordingly.

[ivnryn]

How does the budget work in NI, are they given a lump sum from London and they can split it between the ministries as they deem fit (it presumably doesn't contain any tax setting powers)?

The four parties negoiate the budget and then the SDLP lie to a compliant media when it turns out they are incompotent and unable to negotiate a t-junction.

Well, I was looking for the formal rules. I assume it needs the majority of both communities, but the total spent is decided at the UK level ?

How does it work in Scotland ?

[factual]

ivnryn the local parties up there can vary local rates so have some influence. However the six county government has opted to keep these low so as to be business-friendly.

[Tiernanator]

While I respect the right of the SDLP to vote against the budget if they fundamentally disagree with it. However I am at a loss to see what they are disagreeing about. Time for Sinn Féin and the SDLP to sit down and have some serious talks I think. There is more that unites the two parties now than what divides them. The SDLP or Sinn Féin should not play political posturing with the livelihood of the people. I am hopeful that the vast majority of people in both parties will reject this type of politics. Margaret Ritchie is a minister and so is duty bound to vote for the budget.

Factual I don't think this anti-SDLP attitude is helpful. We need unity of purpose not divisions.