The Chancellor is in Belfast today and will meet with the local political parties (lucky guy) as well as business leaders (I wasn't aware we had any). This quote stuck out to me:

"The first message to him has to be that you can't penalise people now for decisions made by direct rule ministers over the last 30 years not to invest."
Sammy Wilson, DUP MLA & MP for East Antrim

It may or may not be fair - but you can hardly blame the ministers for not investing at a time when we were blowing the shit out of each other! Of course our not blowing the shit out of each other has given rise to Sinn Fein moping after a 'peace dividend'. Wise up guys.

Reg Empey said he will be calling on the Chancellor to be imaginative in tackling the causes of the disparity in investment between Northern Ireland and the Republic, citing the 30% corporation tax compared to 12½% in the Republic as well as fuel excise duty.

From what I understand though, it's been claimed that EU regulations would not allow a different tax rate in Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK, so for what Reg is asking, would we not need an indpendent Ulster?

Oh and while they're there, perhaps someone would be kind enough to point out to the man in charge of the government's money that a few NIO ministers are planning to spend upwards of £120 million on a white elephant out somewhere between Lisburn and Ballygobackwards.