Ministers to meet UK chancellor to discuss budget

Northern Ireland's archetypal and lawman archetypal ministers volition question to London connected Thursday to conscionable the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

The meeting, which volition besides see Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald, volition absorption connected the pressures connected Stormont's finances.

Deputy First Minster Emma Little-Pengelly told BBC News NI that the delegation would accent the request for capable backing "to tally capable nationalist services".

She added they volition besides inquire the chancellor to reverse her recent determination to region wintertime substance outgo benefits from astir pensioners.

"The Labour authorities should not beryllium trying to equilibrium the books connected the backs of pensioners, connected the backs of hard-working people," Little-Pengelly said.

The lawman archetypal curate besides insisted that the delegation was "not going to the authorities with a begging bowl".

Instead, she said ministers would beryllium asking the chancellor to "step up and enactment us" successful their efforts to betterment and amended Northern Ireland's nationalist services.

"We’re going with plans, we’re going with proposals successful presumption of the sustainability of our budget; successful presumption of looking astatine sensible decisions – the things that we request to bash successful Northern Ireland," she explained.

"But of people successful bid to person that translation you request to invest. You request to beryllium capable to springiness america what is required to tally capable nationalist services."

On Monday, the Northern Ireland Executive's draft programme for authorities (PfG) was published.

The 88-page document, entitled 'Our Plan: Doing What Matters Most', sets retired the executive's ambitions nether respective halfway areas.

It outlines 9 "immediate priorities" the enforcement intends to enactment connected this twelvemonth and for the duration of its electoral mandate.

When asked connected Monday however the priorities would beryllium funded, First Minister Michelle O'Neill told BBC News NI that Northern Ireland's backing exemplary is not right.

"That needs to change, truthful we'll beryllium astatine the Treasury's doorway again connected Thursday to proceed our engagement astir the backing exemplary here," she added.

On Tuesday, the concern curate told assembly members (MLAs) that Stormont departments are presently facing spending pressures of £767m.

That means departments judge they request £767m much than what is presently successful the budget.

Caoimhe Archibald said Stormont tin expect to get astir £500m extra, partially arsenic a effect of October’s Westminster budget.

She said portion that volition spell a "significant way" towards easing the pressures, ministers volition person to play their portion and determination would lone beryllium "full certainty" of the magnitude towards the extremity of this year.

Archibald besides warned that if ministers did not run wrong fund it would person "grave consequences" for aboriginal nationalist funding.

The concern curate said the Treasury has been "explicit" that immoderate overspend this twelvemonth would trigger the suspended repayment of a erstwhile £559m overspend.

"We indispensable look up to the challenges, strive to unrecorded wrong our budgets and debar a script successful 2025-26 of having to woody with paying backmost immoderate overspend from this twelvemonth on with a further £559m from erstwhile years, by taking the liable decisions that we request to execute fiscal equilibrium this year," she told the Assembly.