NI leaders set out their vision for 2026 - with Stormont reform and the Irish Sea border amongst issues raised
Northern Ireland’s political leaders have set out their visions for the year ahead – focusing on familiar themes such as the Irish Sea border and the Executive’s record since the return of devolution.
Reform of how the Assembly and Executive operate looks set to be an ongoing row in 2026, with the DUP rejecting fresh calls from the Alliance leader Naomi Long to bring about changes to end “the politics of veto and deadlock”.
The DUP leader criticised attempts to “undermine the very foundations of devolution” – saying cross-community consent “is not an inconvenience to be brushed aside when it becomes awkward”.
“It is a safeguard that protects stability and inclusion. Attempts to dilute it under the banner of reform are a dangerous step towards majority rule by the back door, and we will oppose them. Regardless of what system is in place, its success depends on willing participants”, Gavin Robinson said.
In his New Year message, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt focused on health, calling for a “collective Executive effort to tackle deep-rooted social challenges”.
The TUV leader said the new year will begin where 2025 left off, “with the further tightening of the EU noose”. Jim Allister said that in the past 12 months, “the only success of the Stormont Executive was to demonstrate its uselessness”.
However, the Sinn Fein First Minister has championed the institutions, saying “real progress” had been made and blaming “underfunding” from London for difficulties facing ministers. Citing her party’s arbitrary 2030 deadline for a border poll, Michelle O’Neill called on the British and Irish governments to prepare for a vote.
The man who will decide, Secretary of State Hilary Benn, has repeatedly said that the conditions have not been met – and are “a long way off”.
Gavin Robinson said his party’s priority is supporting working families and strengthening the economy. “That is where government effort should be directed, not towards performative politics or endless divisive border poll agitation”, the DUP leader said.
“Too often, the loudest voices are not concerned with hospitals, schools or policing, but with talking up a border poll and dismantling Northern Ireland itself. Sinn Fein’s focus increasingly lies elsewhere. Our focus is here, on the people who rely on functioning public services and a stable economy”, the East Belfast MP said.
The TUV leader focused on impending changes to the Irish Sea border in the new year. “On 1st January veterinary and pet medicines from GB will be banned and a new regime of tighter customs controls will be imposed at the Irish Sea border - called ICS2 (Import Control System 2), requiring more paperwork and costs, and at a stroke removing much of the proclaimed benefits of ‘the green lane’.
“All of which is a reminder of the dastardly lies told to get the sell-out Donaldson/DUP Deal over the line. Remember ‘no checks, no paperwork’, ‘Irish Sea Border gone’! Sadly, every day since has underscored the audacity of these blatant lies”, the North Antrim MP said.
UUP boss Mike Nesbitt said 2026 must be “a time for delivery” by the Executive. “I am doing my bit in health and social care, but it is not enough. The longer I serve, the clearer it is to me that there is very little of real substance that can be achieved by a single minister alone.
“There are three very sticky, hard to move challenges that the Executive could begin to tackle in the remaining months of this mandate: health inequalities, educational underachievement, and economic inactivity. All are most prevalent in areas of deprivation, and I want to see a collective focus on improving the lives of the people who live with little hope of better”, Mr Nesbitt said.
SDLP boss Claire Hanna also called for preparation for a vote on pulling Northern Ireland out of the UK – but focused on failures of the Executive to deliver on key issues. She said 2025 has been “a tough year” for many in Northern Ireland.
“Public services have continued to decline and the damage being done to our environment has accelerated. At a time when people needed leadership, they were often met with infighting, culture war and a refusal to get to grips with real issues”, she said.
Alliance leader Naomi Long said 2025 “must be the last year dysfunctional government is allowed to continue”.
“Last month’s report from the Covid Inquiry laid bare the sheer scale of the dysfunction. Even in a global pandemic, the two largest parties couldn’t set aside their sectarian divisions and work in the best interests of everyone”, the East Belfast MLA said.