Taxpayer propping up DUP

Ulster Unionist Party finance spokesperson David McNarry has struck out at DUP leader Peter Robinson's "boastful" remarks in Monday's Newsletter over ploughing his salary as First Minister into his party.

"Essentially what the patriarch of the Swish Family Robinson is saying - under the guise of self-sacrifice - is that he doesn't even need his First Minister's salary.

"What a joy for the struggling taxpayer, to know that the head of the Northern Ireland Assembly can forgo a full and substantial salary. Small wonder though when Peter and Iris as MPs walked away with about £30,000 for food in parliamentary expenses over a four-year period," Mr McNarry said.

"It is also good to know that taxpayers' money is essentially being fed directly into the DUP, funding their agenda - propping them up to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds annually.

"I would imagine that the man or woman on the street would choke at the thought of taxpayer-funding of political parties, yet by the back door Mr Robinson is using a fine Assembly salary to fund partisan campaigning - apparently this is something worth 'boasting' about."