Peter Hain - 'Robbing the people to give to the rich'

antrim | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Tuesday October 25, 2005 14:44 by Non-Payer - We Won't Pay Campaign wewontpay at btconnect dot com .

19% increase in rates - on top of water charges!!!

Peter Hain today announced a 19% increase in the regional rate, and stated that rates will continue to rise when water charges are introduced.

We Won't Pay Campaign Press Release 25th October 2005
Peter Hain - 'Robbing the people to give to the rich'

Peter Hain was today accused of 'robbing the people of Northern Ireland to give to the rich' after he announced a 19% increase in the regional rates.

Ciaran Mulholland of the anti-water charges 'We Won't Pay' Campaign claimed rates increases would not be used to invest in public services, but would be handed over to private companies in the form of PFI contracts.

'Minister Hain is punishing the people of Northern Ireland for years of neglect by successive Governments. A 19% increase in the regional rate will painfully hit thousands of households. This money will be used to finance the costly PFI contracts being used in the water service and the rest of the public service.

We are told that the regional rate must increase because the Government has delayed the introduction of water charges. This just proves that we already pay for water through the rates. When water charges come in, you can be sure that the rates will continue to rise. The truth is that introducing a separate water charge is a necessary step in privatising the water service.'

The We Won't Pay Campaign claims that the increase in the regional rate would only strengthen the mood of opposition to water charges. The campaign says 'the best way communities can respond to Peter Hain's lies and theft is by refusing to pay water charges'.