David Cameron cranks up welfare pressure - will Stormont deal be even harder to reach?

Sep 29, 2014, 08:39 AM

Welfare reform - the issue that could topple Stormont. It will be on the agenda in the new round of crunch party talks just announced. But have the stakes just got even higher? David Cameron has announced a new wave of benefit cuts if he wins the next election. Young people aged 18-21 will be forced to sign up for community projects or lose their money. That could mean picking up litter in car-parks. So does this make a Stormont deal on extending Westminster welfare reforms harder to reach?