NI leaders deny ‘begging bowl’ tactics as they push Chancellor for more funds

LONDON: Stormont’s leaders have insisted their call for a “fairer” model for Northern Ireland is not a case of reaching out a “begging bowl” to the Treasury.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly and Finance Minister Caoimhe Archibald were in London on Thursday for a meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves to press for an enhanced formula for calculating the amount of Government money allocated to the devolved Executive.

Ms O’Neill accused previous Conservative governments of “decimating” public services in Northern Ireland. She expressed concerns that Labour was set to continue with an “austerity” agenda and urged a change of direction.

The Sinn Fein vice president said the four-party powersharing coalition in Belfast was “united” in its demand for improved funding for Stormont.“It is about what’s right,” she said. “This is about standing up for good public services. This is about investment in our health services, about investment in our education system, it’s about what’s right for the public that we represent.

“We as an executive are determined to transform our public services, but for 14 years they’ve been decimated by the Tories. For 14 years, they’ve been really brought to their knees. And that needs to be reformed. That needs to be changed. So Labour need to change policy, change tack.”

She added: “We’re not here, absolutely not here, with a begging bowl. We’re here for what is right and what is fair, and a fair funding model. We have been underfunded for many, many years. It’s now time to turn that picture around.”

Ms Little Pengelly said it was “offensive” to portray their calls for more funding as begging.She said people and businesses in Northern Ireland paid taxes like anywhere else in the UK and they deserved to have properly funded public services in return. “We will unashamedly stand up for the people of Northern Ireland,” said the DUP MLA.

“I think the references to begging bowl is actually very offensive to the people and the businesses of Northern Ireland, all of whom pay their taxes just like anyone else, and all of whom absolutely deserve to have the fair funding formula to have the public services that they need.

“The Treasury has recognised Northern Ireland has those additional needs for a range of issues. It is also recognised that we have been underfunded for a number of years. So, that’s the challenge that we’re putting to the Chancellor.

“These decisions are political choices. She references a £22 billion black hole (in the UK’s finances), but the Labour Government has also announced £25 billion worth of expenditure. So what we’re asking this Labour Government to do is to step up, defend public services, invest in public services.

“Do not be balancing the books on the backs of pensioners and hard-pressed families who are the least capable in this country and across this United Kingdom to pay for it. “Do the right thing. Stand up for public services and invest in our public services.”

On Monday, Ms O’Neill and Ms Little Pengelly launched a programme for government identifying nine key priority areas for the administration in the remaining two and half years of the current Assembly mandate. Both made clear that delivering all the objectives would require enhanced funding for the region. Northern Ireland’s public services are facing intense financial pressure.