Stormont Leaders Condemn Treasury Financial Review as 'Absolutely Preposterous'
Northern Ireland's political leadership has launched a scathing attack on a Treasury review examining Stormont's finances, with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly describing some findings as "absolutely preposterous." The review suggested that Stormont ministers could make decisions unlocking up to £3.3 billion in additional annual spending power to address financial challenges.
Criticism of Revenue-Raising Proposals
Ms Little-Pengelly expressed particular concern about revenue-raising suggestions within the report. "Who is suggesting that we are going to raise over £3bn in one year from a population of approximately 1.9 million?" she questioned. "The burden of that on hard-pressed families in Northern Ireland would be extraordinary."
The Deputy First Minister argued that many proposals "don't stand up to even the most basic of scrutiny" and described the review as "an absolute missed opportunity." She emphasized that Northern Ireland needs "proper financing for our public services" rather than unrealistic revenue targets.
First Minister Highlights Historical Underfunding
First Minister Michelle O'Neill echoed these criticisms, stating the review had "the wrong starting point." She highlighted what she described as over a decade of underfunding for Northern Ireland. "When you compare our allocation as an Executive with what Scotland have or what Wales have, we are below that position with our identified needs," Ms O'Neill explained.
The First Minister added: "We have needs here as a society, we are a society that is coming from all those years of under-funding and we are trying to catch up." She argued that discussing revenue-raising with the public was particularly difficult when services remained "decimated day by day because of the lack of investment over the years."
Practical Implementation Concerns
Both leaders raised practical concerns about implementing the Treasury's suggestions. Ms Little-Pengelly noted that "a series of proposed revenue-raising and transformation couldn't be done in-year anyway, it is an absolute impossibility." She cited policing needs as an example, where bringing funding down to assessed levels within a year would be "absolutely preposterous."
The Deputy First Minister called for "a real conversation" and "a detailed conversation" based on facts and logic rather than what she perceived as unrealistic proposals. She confirmed that Stormont had communicated these concerns directly to the Treasury.
Call for Fair Funding Model
Ms O'Neill emphasized Stormont's desire for a fair funding arrangement comparable to other devolved administrations. "We only want what is fair for the people that we represent," she stated. The First Minister expressed intention to engage directly with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on establishing "a proper funding model which allows us to do the things we want to do."
She listed priorities including delivering better health services, improved special educational needs provision, and enhanced childcare. Both leaders participated in what they described as an "open book exercise" with the Treasury because they believed they had "a strong case to make" for increased funding recognition.
The Treasury review examined various options to "improve the sustainability of the Northern Ireland budget," including increased efficiencies alongside revenue-raising measures. However, Stormont's leadership maintains that the fundamental issue remains inadequate baseline funding rather than revenue generation capacity.
