Recession will hit north hardest

The Ulster Bank's chief economist, Richard Ramsey, said that the credit crunch will hit Northern Ireland harder than the rest of the UK.

Across Northern Ireland, we've found widespread anger at politicians for what's being perceived as a lack of action.

University of Ulster economist Mike Smyth says politicians are neglecting the most important issues facing Northern Ireland.

"Yes, devolution of policing and justice is important, yes, academic selection is an important issue," he says. "But this is far more important and to waste political energy on these other issues while our economy in trouble is almost unforgivable."

First Minister Peter Robinson has promised action soon, but the people we met on our travels are already feeling the squeeze.

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The north has little in the way of capital and absolutely no overarching political initiative to create any. It's heavily reliant on external subsidies and investment. Quite obviously it is much more susceptible to recession than anywhere else in either Ireland or the UK.

The money has been freely poured in to keep the bread and circuses routine going over the last few years. With that now dried up and no leadership or ideas to take things forward in the region, the north will soon be a powderkeg once again.