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NI secretary to hold Stormont talks over budget deadlock. Sir Chris Bryant will hold talks with Northern Ireland's political parties later on Monday in a bid to break the deadlock on the budget. The Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant will hold talks with the executive on the budget issue, as well as seeking their views on potential reform of the institutions. He is expected to meet party leaders and hold one-to-one bilaterals with the five largest parties.
The executive has said it cannot agree a budget for this financial year without additional support from the Westminster government. Following the passing of a deadline in August, Stormont officials were given legal powers to spend up to 95% of last year's funding in the absence of ministers agreeing the budget. Last week, the Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to get the Stormont government functioning properly with a budget, but it is unclear how much money London could provide.
Alliance and the SDLP have long called for the power-sharing institutions to be reformed to prevent them from collapsing again. Sinn Féin argues that if either nationalism or unionist party refuses to nominate for the role of first or deputy first minister, the opportunity should pass to other parties to ensure the institutions can continue functioning while maintaining power-sharing principles.
The use of the veto has been criticized by smaller parties at Stormont. Any changes to the current structures would require the UK government to legislate for them. The next assembly election is due in May 2027.
What have the parties said about Monday's meetings? - Sinn Féin's chief whip Sinead Ennis stated that reform alone cannot address the history of British underfunding and austerity or overcome opposition to power-sharing from some parties. - The DUP has said Stormont's finances cannot be solved with a one-off cash injection from London but requires a longer-term change in funding. - Alliance leader Naomi Long called for a tie between institutional reform and financial stabilization, warning that without a cash injection, the issue will recur. - Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows emphasized that more money must come with greater responsibility, criticizing the cycle of perpetual crisis. - Claire Hanna, leader of the SDLP, urged Monday’s talks to mark a change in approach beyond managing the latest disagreement, welcoming recognition of urgency from Westminster.
The talks aim to address both financial deadlock and potential reforms to Stormont’s institutions.
Source: BBC
