Stormont MLAs returned to work by agreeing a deal that read like a Christmas wish list, and now they are holding out a begging bowl

With an annual budget of just shy of £560m for revenue and capital, it is hard to take her seriously.

It seems instead that she does not want to prioritise it over other aspects of the remit she now holds.

On the one hand, infrastructure is vital to the Northern Ireland economy and it needs spending for sure.

Our roads, rail, broadband and public transport networks keep the place moving.

And yet they have been left to decay, with a lack of direction, through wilful absenteeism and low prioritisation.

Nichola Mallon’s colleagues in the SDLP, as well as politicians in Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party all seemed to prioritise an Irish language act over infrastructure, health, education, our economy.

They didn’t get one in the end, however the ‘New Decade, New Approach’ terms make provisions for ‘culture commissioners’ which are going to cost the Northern Ireland Executive £29m over the next three years.

That is a lot of lightbulbs.

The ‘stay at home’ MLAs only decided to come back on the premise of a deal that has been written like a Christmas wish list to Santa.

And since being back they have demonstrated their complete lack of ambition for our people, by holding a begging bowl out, and blaming others for the problems they created and exacerbated by not going to work.

Barry Hetherington, East Belfast Conservative Association