National

The good news at a national level has once again been tempered by the local news.  The Ulster Bank is reporting a further decline in private sector business activity making Northern Ireland the worst performing region for 20 months.  The private sector has now been shedding jobs for 32 months. On the positive side the survey did show some growth in the manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile the Northern Bank is somewhat more upbeat predicting the NI economy will grow 1% this year (although he national economy managed nmore than that in one quarter).  While reporting growth Scotland, Wales they are the second and third worst performing regions.  So the national economic policies pursued by Labour and now the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are not achieving a meaningful spread in growth across the country.  Hardly surprising as regional differences was never a meaningful consideration in the development of them.  A national plan that failed to take account of these was never truly national but that appears to be what we have.