UK has given 'a great deal' of financial support - and Stormont can’t escape tough spending choices - Benn
Stormont’s politicians cannot escape the choices they face about how public money is spent and how funds are raised, the Northern Ireland Secretary has said.
Hilary Benn says that the budget situation for Northern Ireland is “clearly very difficult” – but the UK government has given “a great deal of support already”.
He was speaking after a meeting of the East-West Council in Belfast where he said they were shown how money allocated by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the autumn budget would be used “to support trade across the United Kingdom”.
“Any prospect of there not being a balanced budget will be a source of concern to all of us,” he said at a press conference afterwards.
“But I would just point out that all governments all around the world, in Westminster, here in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, has to deal with difficult choices about how it’s going to spend its money, how it’s going to raise revenue.
“When we come into public life, we have a responsibility to balance the books and to produce a balanced budget, and I hope very much that that is what the Executive is going to be able to do.
“But it is difficult and it is challenging, and our job is to continue to work with the Executive and to support them in any extent that we can.
“But we’ve given a great deal of support already – in the form of that record Spending Review settlement, the extra money in the budget and funding just above the level of need, with more funding than happens in England – and Northern Ireland, of course, has greater needs. That does provide an opportunity but doesn’t mean that anyone can escape from choices that have to be made about how the money is going to be spent.”
The First Minister said the pressing issue facing Northern Ireland is attempts to seek agreement on three-year budget – and “how difficult and complicated that is going to be.”
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said “continuing barriers to internal trade across the UK” were also discussed during the meeting.
“As we know, there are remaining barriers despite the fact that the UK Government had given that commitment to unfettered internal UK trade.”