Coalition

The full effects of the Coalition’s February budget are now being felt by working people. Along with all the increased charges on consumer goods, the following provisions began applying on April 5:

— a one per cent levy on gross wages — reduction of the PRSI allowance from £286 to £246 } } — raising of the PRSI ceiling from £9,500 to £13,000 J — reduction in mortgage relief — scrapping of tax relief on personal loans for | home improvements etc.

— £17 a year increase in telephone rental charges — an average £40 per annum increase in road tax Fi PER and there’s more to come.

Even on the basis of a 10 per cent rise in wages this of between 10 and 12 per cent. The Coalition and the employers are determined to see that wage rises fall far below 10 per cent. year, the average worker will suffer a drop in real income | icy now. Then they were clearly willing to support the Northern Assembly. Now they have set up an all-lreland body which is seen to be in opposition to it and have endorsed the SDLP boycott. No matter what the long term intentions of Fitzgerald and company are, the immediate effect it to throw the spotlight on the as the force preventing pro- _of the ‘Council for a new THE ASSEMBLY Southern parties prepare to _ notable that James Prior did double Ireland’s output of hot not join in Unionist hysteria post election call for united a deal could be struck. opposition to it. It has not fallen apart from its own connued rhetoric from the Official that Hume was angling for that it will do so. However, we a formal Council of Ireland assess the sort of threat that —_ alist support in return for The Assembly offers Unionists jon in the North. In the mechanism aimed at the betrayal could be sold as a British. The success of their —_ genuine move towards unity.

Assembly.

3. By its very existence, it serves as a guarantee to the British that any long-term settlement will be a partition settlement. A working Assembly acts.as a bulwark domination in any part of the national territory.