Editorial: Stormont's inability to set a budget is a farce and it needs to be rectified

​The ongoing refusal of the Stormont Executive to deliver its most basic function and set a budget within which it will operate, is a total failure for the people of Northern Ireland.

It is inconceivable that the UK Government would just decide it wasn’t going to bother outlining its spending priorities by having a budget, but such is the dysfunction at Stormont that nobody bats an eyelid.

It is quite something that parties can just fail to do their job, safe in the knowledge that there will be little or no electoral consequence.

The absurdity of the situation n was pointed out this week by the Alliance Party’s sole MP Sorcha Eastwood, who called it a “shameful indictment”.

While she did not elaborate on who it was an indictment on, the Lagan Valley MP might blame the government for not giving ministers enough money, or the system of government which can put ministers in power without any agreement on how they are going to govern.

She would doubtless also say that her party’s ministers have tried hard to live within their budget and accuse others of not doing that. And the other Executive parties would doubtless say similar.

The whole argument could go around in circles forever, and no budget would still be agreed.

The reality is that as a local administration, or a “toytown parliament” as a TUV MLA once branded it, consequences of inaction are limited.

There isn’t going to be a collapse in the value of the pound because Stormont can’t agree how it’s going to divvy up its spending money.

But there are real consequences for voters, whether for those on a health waiting list or with kids in failing schools.

Stormont reform is a priority for many parties. They must make sure that any changes require them to do the basics – or face the electorate again until they have.