High cost of home heating oil discussed as prime minister meets with Northern Ireland political leaders
The prime minister met with political leaders in Belfast today - with the cost of home heating oil high on the agenda.
Sir Keir Starmer will later attend the UK-Ireland Summit in Cork, along with several senior ministers from his Cabinet.
Today's meetings come as Sir Keir faces renewed questioning over making Lord Peter Mandelson the UK’s Washington ambassador after a release of official documents revealed he had been warned of a “general reputational risk” over the appointment.
It also comes as governments are coming under pressure over a spike in the cost of fuel and home heating oil after the US and Israel began bombing Iran over a week ago.
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the cost of living was the main topic discussed during a “very forthright” meeting with Sir Keir in Belfast on Thursday.
She and First Minister for Northern Ireland Michelle O’Neill said that families were struggling with high costs, as around two-thirds of domestic properties in Northern Ireland use home heating oil.
Ms McDonald said she had "challenged the Prime Minister now to make an announcement, to come up with something that will actually make a difference to households right across the north that are struggling so badly".
DUP leader Gavin Robinson said it strikes “a strange chord” that political leaders in Northern Ireland would call on Sir Keir to act on high energy prices when there was funding “waiting to be dispensed”.
He said actions that could be taken on soaring fuel costs and “levers at his disposal” were a particular topic on Sir Keir’s agenda on Thursday.
Mr Robinson said: “He was as aghast as I was to discover that £81 million is sitting there waiting to be dispensed, to assist consumers in Northern Ireland, and yet we have an economy minister that hasn’t started work on a business case, and a party that still seems to be reluctant to agree that that figure is correct.”
He added: “It does strike a strange chord when some political leaders from Northern Ireland today will be saying that this Prime Minister needs to provide financial support, when he can stand back and say, I have done so, and £81 million is available for the people of Northern Ireland, and it’s up to your leaders to determine how best that support should be dispensed at this time of need.”
Alliance Party leader and Justice Minister Naomi Long said that their meeting with Sir Keir was “short” but “packed” and he seemed “very open” to the issues raised.
“We are the most reliant region of the UK on home heating oil and it does create real challenges for us,” she said.
“What we need to do is both focus on the transition to better fuel opportunities, and they are out there, and we need to invest in that, but we also need some kind of short-term intervention, that will be properly guided by the evidence, but will ensure that local householders are not put under further pressure.”
Mrs Long said among the issues discussed were the budgetary constraints faced by the Northern Ireland Executive, the stability of and reform of the powersharing institutions, and the cost of living crisis.
Mr Robinson said he also discussed the powersharing institutions, the budgetary shortfall in Northern Ireland, and post-Brexit related “nonsensical hangovers” on trade with Great Britain