Sir Chris Bryant warns he will set Stormont budget if Executive fails to

The political stalemate at Stormont has deepened significantly as Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Bryant warned that he will step in to set a regional budget if devolved ministers fail to reach an agreement. Speaking to The Independent and other outlets, Sir Chris described Westminster intervention as the obvious logical conclusion of continued deadlock, while local ministers pushed back against what they termed an ultimatum.

According to Newswav reporting, Education Minister Paul Givan warned that budget negotiations are rapidly entering no-deal territory. Devolved departments have been operating without a budget since the beginning of the current financial year, currently functioning under an arrangement that allows them to spend up to 95% of last year’s funding in the absence of ministers agreeing the budget. Ministers in the devolved powersharing Executive have insisted they cannot strike a budget for 2026/27 without additional financial support from Westminster.

Media additions

Reporting from Belfast Live and The Independent highlights that the financial package on the table has remained unchanged since it was presented in writing to local parties. The UK Government has made a financial offer slightly above £1.5 billion over the three years in an effort to assist with balancing the budget. Sir Chris spoke to the party leaders about the offer on Thursday afternoon and told them there would not be further funding from the Treasury.

Funding Category	Allocation Details	Timeframe
Resource Funding	£450 million	2026/2027
Resource Funding	£400 million per year	Subsequent two financial years
Public Services Transformation	£50 million per year (Executive to match)	All three years
Social Housing Capital	£50 million per year	2027/2028 and 2028/2029

The Executive would also be allowed to keep 50% of funds collected from additional fraud and error identified in the welfare system. It is understood the offer comes with a series of conditions. Part of the Secretary of State’s talks with local parties has also included Stormont reform, but that is being dealt with separately from budget discussions.

Sir Chris acknowledged that a UK minister setting a budget for the region while devolved institutions are operational is “completely unheard of”.

"I’ve got to look at every eventuality, of course, I have,"

Sir Chris Bryant, Northern Ireland Secretary, via Belfast Live and The Independent

He further noted that if he were a local councillor in England or Wales or Scotland or anywhere else, he’d have to agree a settled budget and that’s what we’ve got to do, adding:

"I think most reasonable people would say that we have gone the extra mile, and I think now it’s time for the political leaders in Northern Ireland to go ‘all right, we’ve got to live within our means’."

Sir Chris Bryant, Northern Ireland Secretary, via Belfast Live and The Independent

Local reaction has been critical of the delivery and scale of the offer. Speaking on the BBC Good Morning Ulster programme, Mr Givan pushed back against the administration's stance.

"If he continues to take the approach that he outlined yesterday, then it is moving into a no-deal territory,"

Paul Givan, Education Minister, via Newswav

Mr Givan said: “We have sought to engage with the UK government right from the earliest point of this financial year when we flagged up that the cliff-edge had been reached in terms of our financial supports that the government provided back in 2023.” He accused Westminster of displaying a laissez-faire attitude and utilizing an take-it-or-leave-it approach that bodes poorly for securing a stable outcome for Northern Ireland.

Mr Givan also drew comparisons with funding allocations in other devolved nations, asserting that people in Northern Ireland should be treated similarly. Despite the friction, Sir Chris maintained that he wants to avoid legislating a budget directly from Westminster if possible, emphasizing his desire to maintain a positive working relationship with local political leaders.

As the political standoff continues, attention turns to the impending response deadline set for next Thursday. Read more on related developments via our Politics coverage.