Editorial: Northern Ireland politicians always cry underfunding instead of taking responsibility themselves for the problems they have neglected

As the secretary of state answered questions at Westminster this week, some of our MPs again mounted the argument that Northern Ireland is underfunded. They pointed to the dire state of our roads, health service and justice system.

That we have those problems is not in dispute, but it is much less clear that responsibility lies with the Treasury.

In response, Hilary Benn observed that funding is now determined by a needs-based formula, which means we get equivalent to 124% of any extra spending in England.

Almost as soon as an agreement on that system was reached, as part of the deal to restore Stormont in February, our politicians claimed that it was not enough.

Even if they had a point, it would be difficult to sell to the rest of the UK. NI’s services and infrastructure are so strained precisely because our executive repeatedly failed to implement reforms or put its finances on a sustainable footing.

Ministers recently published a budget plan that claimed to raise £113 million without introducing revenue raising measures, which was a way of again dodging potentially unpopular decisions.

Meanwhile, a construction representative told a Stormont committee this week that the repeated failure to fund our water service properly was about to have a ‘catastrophic’ effect on the economy. That is just one area where, over decades, our politicians have effectively stuffed their fingers in their ears, despite receiving repeated warnings.

At Northern Ireland questions, Mr Benn pointed out that it is Stormont’s job to allocate its budget in an effective way. Surely it is time for politicians here to take genuine responsibility for the problems that they have neglected, rather than simply blaming London?