Chancellor ‘may not be in listening mode’ for meeting on NI finances – Robinson

Chancellor Rachel Reeves may not be in listening mode when she hosts Stormont leaders to discuss pressures on Northern Ireland’s finances, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has warned.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald will meet the Chancellor at the Treasury on Thursday.

They will stress the need for sufficient funding to run public services in Northern Ireland.

Mr Robinson said it was right that the ministers advance the argument.

He told the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme: “They clearly have a responsibility around sustainability of budgets and finance but they are right to highlight the fact that Northern Ireland has been completely denuded of sustainable and fair funding for our public services.

“That doesn’t ignore the challenges that we have before us here in Northern Ireland but it is fair that those are appropriately reflected with the Chancellor in London.

“But I’m not sure the Chancellor is in the position to listen.

“She has just stripped £300 out of every pensioner’s pocket in the United Kingdom and she has done that to placate trade union barons on pay deals and other pet projects.

“They talk of a £22 billion black hole left by the last government, but they have made £25 billion worth of funding commitments since they came into government, £10 billion on pay, £8 billion on GB Energy and £7 billion on a new sovereign wealth fund.”

Mr Robinson added: “Those are political choices and so whilst I recognise the importance of the approach today and the need for Northern Ireland to get a fair funding formula that is sustainable for the future, I am not sure that the Chancellor is in listening mode.”

Northern Ireland’s public services are facing intense financial pressure.

Ms Archibald this week urged Executive colleagues to take “urgent action” to rein in spending after revealing that departments are currently overcommitted by £767 million.

She said the administration was expecting around £500 million in extra funding from the UK Government following next month’s Budget through the Barnett funding model used to distribute money to the devolved regions.

But she highlighted that would still leave the Executive facing a funding gap of around £267 million.

Ms Archibald said such an overspend would have “grave consequences” as she warned that failure to balance the Stormont budget by the end of the financial year would see the UK Government withdraw a previous offer to write off £559 million worth of debt owed to the Treasury.

In a social media post ahead of the meeting with the Chancellor, Ms O’Neill said she would be bringing the message that people in Northern Ireland deserve first-class public services.

She said: “For the past 14 years, the Tories unleashed savage and sustained cuts to budgets for public services.

“The new British Government must not follow that same heartless agenda.

“The Executive stands united in its commitment to secure fair funding to provide the best possible public services for people.”