Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Northern Ireland’s civil servants: It’s up to UK ministers, not us, to fix fiscal crisis

Northern Ireland’s civil servants: It’s up to UK ministers, not us, to fix fiscal crisis

Top officials managing political vacuum in Belfast say NI budget bill leaves ‘a gap’ between what the British government wants and what they legally can do to stop red ink flowing at Stormont.
Northern Ireland’s senior civil servants told a parliamentary committee Wednesday it will be up to the British government, not themselves, to impose an estimated £800 million in spending cuts and tax hikes needed to balance the region’s debt-addled books.

Their warning — the first in public by officials who normally keep their views away from public microphones — follows a trio of reports Tuesday from the Northern Ireland Fiscal Council identifying a range of possible measures to bring red ink under control at Stormont, where a Brexit-related walkout by the Democratic Unionists has put cross-community government on ice and left civil servants effectively running the show.

The advisory body said Northern Ireland faced a 3.3 percent spending cut this year in real terms, taking account of inflation, unless more revenue could be found. One measure floated to balance the books includes the introduction of household water charges already levied elsewhere across the U.K.

The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady, said the U.K. government bill setting out 2023-24 spending limits — due for its second reading next week in the House of Commons — doesn’t give her nine permanent secretaries the mandate to take many of the key decisions that will be required.

She said Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris’ guidance to the permanent secretaries likewise leaves “a gap” between what the government in Westminster expects them to do and what decisions they legally are permitted to take.

“It is our understanding, having read the guidance and the law, there will be decisions that will not be able to be fulfilled within that guidance,” Brady said. “That would require some level of ministerial direction. That’s the legal advice we have received. There is a gap.”

Brady said fixing Stormont’s finances would require hands-on decision-making from ministers, either Heaton-Harris and other Northern Ireland Office ministers or, potentially, locally accountable ministers if the collapsed Northern Ireland Executive can be revived.

Looming decisions on spending cuts to statutory public services or raising local taxes and charges “rightly should be made by ministers because we have no democratic provision to make those,” Brady said. Northern Ireland’s cross-community government fell apart last year because of obstruction by the DUP, the major British Protestant party. Power-sharing, the core goal of the region’s 1998 peace agreement, cannot legally function unless both the DUP and the largest Irish nationalist party, Sinn Féin, agree to participate.

Neil Gibson, the permanent secretary at Northern Ireland’s Department of Finance, told the committee that each department head was preparing detailed research and options on potential cuts and tax measures — advice prepared for Heaton-Harris or junior Northern Ireland Office ministers to pull the trigger, not themselves.

“We are making sure we have the relevant material for the NIO on each of those, what is the legal position on charging in this area, what legislation is required,” said Gibson, who noted that Heaton-Harris already had used such advice to raise Northern Ireland’s regional rates this year by 6 percent.

“Our job remains the same, to provide all the material for political decision-making to be taken on all of those revenue-raising options that are available,” Gibson said.

The Democratic Unionists, who deny any culpability in Northern Ireland’s fiscal crisis, issued a new plea for increased Treasury funding on the back of Wednesday’s testimony.

Senior British government officials have told POLITICO that an increased funding offer, potentially in the region of £1 billion, could be part of any agreement to revive a cross-community government at the Stormont Parliament Building overlooking Belfast. The DUP has indefinitely blocked power-sharing in protest against post-Brexit trade rules that make it easier for Northern Ireland to trade with the Republic of Ireland than with the rest of the United Kingdom.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×