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Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant has sharply criticised the Stormont executive for a lack of financial accountability, while also dismissing proposals to “front-load” additional funding intended for the region over the coming three years. The Stormont administration has yet to finalize a budget for the current year, attributing the delay to inadequacies in the UK’s devolution funding formula that have left it financially short.
The UK government has earmarked an extra £1.5 billion for Northern Ireland, to be disbursed in three stages, with £525 million available this year. Despite suggestions that a bigger portion might be allocated sooner, Bryant insisted there would be no increase beyond the amount already set for the year. Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, he stated, “I’ve made it absolutely clear about 17 times now, both to members of the executive and to others, that there is no additional money beyond the £525m we have set aside for this year.”
Bryant further criticised the Stormont ministers for their financial management, accusing them of overspending without consequence. He highlighted the importance of balancing budgets, noting, “There is very little financial accountability or responsibility across the whole of the executive… There’s no local council anywhere in the UK that doesn’t have to bring in a balanced budget.” Emphasising the seriousness of the situation, he said, “You cannot keep overspending willy-nilly and not expect consequences from that. It’s just irresponsible.” He also revealed that he could enforce a budget through Westminster legislation if necessary, with a hard deadline by the end of January 2027, when departments currently operating under emergency budget rules would exhaust their funds.
The Democratic Unionist Party’s Trevor Clarke responded to Bryant’s remarks by reaffirming that Stormont ministers uniformly believe Northern Ireland is underfunded compared to Scotland and Wales. Speaking on the BBC’s Nolan Show, Clarke argued, “He can’t look at two different devolved regions where they are funded at a higher level than we are in Northern Ireland, with all of the problems we have.” Supporting this viewpoint, Gerry Carroll of People Before Profit, although not part of the executive, agreed that Northern Ireland’s funding levels are insufficient and called on the British government to increase financial support. Carroll warned that without further funding, essential services would face cuts and additional costs, stating, “The executive are right in standing against those regressive measures.”
The ongoing budget disagreement has practical effects, including healthcare workers in Northern Ireland yet to receive their pay rise for the year, unlike colleagues elsewhere in the UK. In response to this, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has initiated a ballot for possible strike action. Professor Rita Devlin from the RCN condemned the situation, calling it “despicable that, year after year, nursing staff in Northern Ireland are forced to fight for a pay award that colleagues elsewhere in the UK receive as a matter of course.” Health Minister Robbie Butler described withholding the pay increase due to budget issues as “unconscionable, unethical and immoral,” acknowledging that the current failure to agree on the Stormont budget is the major barrier to releasing the necessary funds. He expressed concerns that industrial action could derail health reform progress and stressed that resolving the pay dispute is essential to avoid strikes
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