Northern Ireland first minister urges Andy Burnham to address Stormont budget crisis

In a speech to MLAs, first minister Michelle O’Neill urged Andy Burnham to pay attention to the dire financial situation facing Stormont, which still lacks a budget for one outlet year. She highlighted that departments are limited to spending 95% of last year’s allocations and that the executive cannot approve a 2026/27 budget without additional Westminster support. O’Neill rejected Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant’s description of the executive as “irresponsible,” pointing to the Barnett Formula’s reliance on English spending and Northern Ireland’s large public-sector workforce as the root cause.

She affirmed agreement across the executive to deliver public-sector pay awards, but said the existing funding is insufficient for a balanced budget. O’Neill announced further meetings this week and called on the British prime minister, via Burnham, to address the structural funding weakness.