The Stormont powersharing Executive will have to look at raising its own revenue to help deal with public sector budget pressures, new Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said.
In his first visit to the region since taking up office, Mr Benn said Stormont has historically “not been as good as it might be in income generation”.
He also said that a priority had to be given to ensuring that the current budget was being used in the most effective way, adding there is an urgent need for public sector reform.
Mr Benn visited St George’s Market in Belfast on Sunday morning where he spoke to traders and members of the public.
If followed meetings that he had in Hillsborough Castle in Co Down on Saturday evening with the main Stormont political parties.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, said she made the case for “fair funding” for public services during her meeting.
Speaking to the media, Mr Benn pointed out that public spending in Northern Ireland is higher than in England.
The region receives about £124 per head for every £100 per head spent in England.
Mr Benn said: “Those (funding) discussions about the future will continue and there will be additional money when the main estimates are published which I anticipate will be in the near future.
“But I would also say this. There is a question for the Executive about how the money is spent.
“All public bodies, governments, institutions have to look at what they’ve got coming in, what’s going out and how they can make the most effective use of that.
“Historically, government in Northern Ireland has not been as good as it might be in income generation.
“That is something the Executive is going to have to look at.”
Mr Benn added: “Through the process of reform which we are very keen to assist with…that is also a path to a better future because if there ways in which the money which is currently being allocated, which is more than the constituency that I represent in Leeds (receives), using it most effectively to get the best public services should be an urgent priority for all of us.”
The Northern Ireland Secretary said: “The really urgent task for now is public services, the longest waiting lists in the whole of the United Kingdom.
“This was an election in which people voted in all parts of the United Kingdom for change and that is why I am so keen to work with the Executive.
“They have a big responsibility to undertake public service reform because with more funding per head than say my constituents receive, Northern Ireland has the worst waiting lists in the whole of the UK.
“I think everybody recognises there is a need for reform.
“We stand ready to give advice and expertise and support because it is a very big task but it is an urgent one for the people of Northern Ireland.”
Speaking following her meeting with Mr Benn on Saturday, Ms O’Neill said: “We strongly made the case for fair funding to be provided urgently for health, education and public services here.
“The cuts our people and public services have endured under the Tories must end now.”
by ItWasWalpole-alt
14 comments
TLDR: Westminster asks NI to make more money.
Let’s see if they find a more creative way of doing so other than saying ‘revolutionary idea: let’s increase taxes’
30% of country now make 100% of the decisions.
FPTP is completely broken.
Pretty clear sign that they don’t intend to open the funding valve nearly as much as some were hoping if at all. Even from the pre-election wording and dancing around the topic this was pretty clear.
The fact they are explicitly saying “The Stormont powersharing Executive will have to look at raising its own revenue to help deal with public sector budget pressures” and “Mr Benn pointed out that public spending in Northern Ireland is higher than in England” I think more cuts or tax raises are well on the well.
Pretty much the same thing Heaton-Harris was saying a few months back.
Not noticing much of a “change” in government really.
They are cutting ni loose. They can’t vote it out of the ‘union’ but they can sure as fuck push it out. Labour or tory dosent matter it’s done
On one hand I do believe there could be a lot more done to make NI public services more efficient, but the narrative around spending here is false. The assembly has responsiblity for a lot of things that within the UK are done by councils. Social care is a massive one, care packages easily go into the tens of thousands each year for those who need them and our devolved assembly has to cover that. While across the water, it’s the council via tax that has to. You’ve also got social services too for things like running the foster system and adoption.
We can always sell more booze to he people in the republic
He’s right.
Having come from England after working for 15 years there NI is embarrassingly inefficient and the public sector is beyond a joke (I’ve a sister in law who I wouldn’t trust to go to the shop for milk that works in the civil service) not to mention having dealt with utterly useless public bodies to get my professional registration sorted.
Work 10 minutes and take a tea break seems to be the modus operandi for NI and that’s the ones in work. The number of DLA and dole merchant’s is a whole other story.
The schools are a joke with 2 windows 95 like computers in each class .
The wages are below average because we accept shit service is a way of life here.
And I love it here, wouldn’t move back for twice the pay. These are observations that I’d love to change but don’t think they will as I’ve seen anyone with any ambition leave
I’m starting to wonder a bit about this Hillary yk
About now I wish NI had *less spending power than their British equivalents
Meet the new boss,
Same as the old boss…
Easiest way for the government to generate income?
Legalise and regulate weed and tax the fuck out of it, same as they do with fegs and booze. With that tax alone, there’d be zero need for a water bill or increasing rates and all you stoners would be guaranteed better quality puff.
TBF the outstretched hand grasping for cash isn’t really gonna cut it. NI needs to get rid of duplication in services caused by the sectarian divide. Housing and education need to be addressed.
Why would the British Government invest in Northern Ireland? It’s a massive cost center for them to get cheap public services for mainland Britain.
They can consistently lag pay below inflation, keep turning the screw every year, keep the sectarian flames burning every July for green vs orange tensions, keeping private sector investment away and focused on mainland England.
NI is the annoying, but useful step child to England.