Published Sunday, 04 July 2010
Before I answer that I must point out that the decrease would be less here for the following reason. The Barnett formula, which determines the impact of spending changes, would limit the damage to Stormont's finances.
That said this measure of protection would be of relatively little comfort if the forty per cent axe were to fall across the water. A cut on this scale would decimate public services here.
Massive job losses not just inside the public sector but on those companies and consultancies which hugely depend on a flow of contracts from Stormont. Emigration would begin in earnest. But there's no point in listing all the consequences because in truth nothing would be left unaffected.
So can we take some comfort from the revelation by the Secretary of State for Transport Philip Hammond that it's unlikely that Westminster will go that far? Not very much in my opinion.
The twenty-five per cent reduction already mooted will be very bleak for us. We'll know just how bad in the Autumn when the review of public spending is complete.
In the meantime it would be helpful to know whether Stormont is going to impose the already announced £128 million cut this year or next and on what.
It would also be useful if Stormont departments here followed the lead of the counterparts in Whitehall and worked where they plan to wield the axe once the full extent of the cuts are published in October.