Today the leaders of the 3 develoved administrations made a public plea in opposition to the proposed Tory/Lib Dem cuts.

UNISON regional secretary Patricia MC Keown responds:

She said: The Joint Declaration is historic.  It is a crucial opportunity that has only partly been taken.  It cannot be a policy and approach that has the unqualified support of the trade union movement.

• The 3 Devolved Administrations have correctly analysed that Coalition Government proposals will stall recovery.
• It is also correct that the way forward is the promotion of economic growth not its destruction
• The 3 Administrations rightly identify the particularly damaging effects of destructive cuts in capital programmes and expenditure.

However the 3 Administrations need to say more clearly that the needs of the people cannot simply be determined by the confidence in global financial markets.

The Devolved administrations need to be clear that it is not simply a matter of the phasing or timing of proposed cuts but the level of cuts proposed and the damage they will do if implemented.

They also need to make common call for a new fiscal strategy based on effective and innovative taxation and the elimination of real waste and for global strong regulation of the banks and the financial system so that this fundamental attack on workers and communities can never happen again.