OWEN PATERSON has been confirmed as Northern Secretary by the new British prime minister David Cameron.
He has been the shadow minister for the past three years and replaces Shaun Woodward at Hillsborough.
His appointment has led to renewed speculation that the North could suffer under the Conservative plan to cut £6 billion from public spending. This remains a key element of the Liberal Democrat-Conservative policy to address the UK’s deficit.
Stormont finance minister Sammy Wilson, speaking to The Irish Timesyesterday, said a Conservative budget, due in the next 50 days, could necessitate the recall of the Assembly and the possibility of a reframed Stormont budget.
His Executive colleague, health minister Michael McGimpsey, restated last night that he did not have enough to finance frontline services under current funding arrangements. It is understood that £6 billion in cuts across the UK would not be possible in the current financial year as this began in the first week of April.
First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness were due to talk to the prime minister by telephone last night, their first conversation since Mr Cameron took office.
He caused controversy during the election when he criticised the scale of the North’s public sector, which accounts for up to two-thirds of the economy. Mr Cameron later insisted he advocated growing the private sector, but opposition parties, unions and others insisted the Conservatives were planning expenditure cuts on a scale which could damage services and the prospects of recovery .
The DUP has said it fears that cuts of up to £200 million could be made on top of efficiencies which are already being sought.
Mr Paterson will hold responsibility for UK constitutional issues and security, but the bulk of responsibilities once faced by the Northern Ireland Office have been devolved to the Executive.
Mr Paterson was urged last night to act impartially despite his party’s electoral pact with the Ulster Unionists and Mr Cameron’s commitment to advocate the value of the union.
Mr Paterson had campaigned personally for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists. In January Mr Paterson chaired secret talks in England on unionist unity involving members of both the Ulster Unionists and the DUP.
His appointment was greeted by Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey who said: “Owen’s sterling commitment to Northern Ireland has been amply demonstrated during his time as shadow secretary of state.”
It is expected that an indication will soon emerge concerning the overdue publication of the Saville report into Bloody Sunday. The report of the inquiry into the death of Robert Hamill is also expected before the end of the year.
Mr Paterson (53), the North Shropshire MP, is on the right of the Conservative Party, is a Euro-sceptic and a member of Thatcherite groupings including the Conservative Way Forward and No Turning Back groups
Owen Paterson: No stranger to North
OWEN PATERSON, no stranger to Northern Ireland, is credited with making more visits than his Labour opposite number, the departing Northern secretary Shaun Woodward.
Appointed Conservative spokesman in 2007, the right-wing North Shropshire MP has visited Belfast most weeks since then and has built up a network of contacts with local politicians, business groups and community representatives.
He is closely associated with the Ulster Unionist electoral link-up with the Tories and with David Cameron’s claim that he will not be neutral on the union between Britain and Northern Ireland. The former head of a family leather-tanning business with a Cambridge education, Mr Paterson is a supporter of localism and free enterprise and a believer in minimising taxation and bureaucracy. He is a former junior shadow minister for agriculture.
He has been married to Rose for 28 years and they have three children – Felix, Ned and Evie.
Outside politics he is interested in history, architecture, horse-racing and trees.
He was first elected to Westminster in 1997, the year his Conservative predecessor, Sir Patrick Mayhew, left office following Tony Blair’s landslide election win.