‘Bullying and blackmail do not work in Northern Ireland’ Arlene Foster tells Government ahead of major strike

Branding it “insanity”, the ex-DUP leader argued it was not the first time London had used such a tactic.

Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee issued her warning at Westminster amid claims that public service workers were being used as “pawns in a game of political brinkmanship”.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has offered Northern Ireland parties a £3.3 billion deal to stabilise finances in the region, including £600 million to settle outstanding public sector pay claims.

But the offer is conditional on the return of powersharing at Stormont and the DUP is maintaining its refusal to participate in devolved government until its concerns over post-Brexit trading arrangements are tackled by the UK Government.

In the absence of functioning institutions, Mr Heaton-Harris has been urged to release funding for the pay awards, but he insists it is a devolved matter and so cannot intervene.

The stand-off comes as an estimated 150,000 public sector workers from health and education to transport and the civil service are to stage walkouts in Northern Ireland.

There have been warnings of serious disruption due to services such as road gritting being withdrawn, while schools will be closed and hospitals will operate reduced services.

Speaking during an urgent question secured in the Lords on the industrial action, Lady Foster said: “It is said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

“This is not the first time his Majesty’s Government has used this sort of tactic to try and push people who have a mandate in Northern Ireland to so something that would be going against their mandate to do.

“I am sure my former colleagues in the DUP will not be bullied into making a decision that they believe is the wrong decision.”

The non-affiliated peer added: “Bullying, blackmail does not work in Northern Ireland. It is insanity to think it will work.

“Therefore, I say to the minister, who I know has Northern Ireland’s place very much to his heart, to please press upon the Secretary of State that we do need a different way forward for our public sector workers.”

But Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine insisted bullying and blackmail was “not the approach of his Majesty’s Government”.

He added: “The imperative in respect of public sector pay and resolving these issues is to get the institutions back.”

DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown said: “The issue is whether or not the Secretary of State will release the money to enable the payments to be made.”

The veteran politician added: “He must stop using workers and their well-earned pay increases as pawns in this game of political brinkmanship and realise that bribery and bullying will not force unionists into accepting constitutional arrangements which will destroy the Union by aligning Northern Ireland with the European Union instead of the United Kingdom.”

Responding, Lord Caine said: “He will be aware the Government does not have the powers directly to negotiate public sector pay in Northern Ireland. This is a devolved matter for a Northern Ireland executive.”

Baroness Hoey, a Northern Irish Brexit supporter and former Labour MP, said: “The minister knows Northern Ireland very, very well and Northern Ireland people and he must know that Northern Ireland people are not going to be bullied and blackmailed.”

She added: “He is allowing, and the Secretary of State is allowing the people of Northern Ireland to suffer for something that could be solved today.”

Lord Caine said: “I do not share her characterisation of the Government’s approach as one of bullying and blackmail.

“The funding package on the table is extremely generous and would allow an incoming executive to deal with all of these matters. The imperative in Northern Ireland is to get the Executive back up and running and functioning.”

Tory former chancellor Lord Clarke of Nottingham backed calls for reform at Stormont to avoid giving the DUP “a permanent veto”.

He said: “The present deadlock will not be resolved because the DUP will never agree to set up a local administration headed by a Sinn Fein leader.

“If this deadlock continues after the next Ulster election, will the Government see if we can tackle the appallingly difficult process of seeing how an executive can be set up with the other political parties that avoids the DUP’s determination just to maintain a permanent veto?”

But Lord Caine said: “I see no evidence really to support the proposition that he has made.”