Secretary of State to slam Stormont politicians over 'missed opportunities' on public sector reform - lack of money from Westminster not the main problem, Hilary Benn to say
Stormont ministers have missed many opportunities to make decisions which could have transformed public services in Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn will say in a speech on Tuesday.
Delivering a keynote address in Belfast to mark the anniversary of the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, the Secretary of State will say that a lack of money from the UK Government is not the main thing holding back improvements to public services.
He will also challenge devolved ministers to “take the difficult collective decisions” required to deliver change in the health service.
Devolved government was restored at Stormont a year ago, with Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill becoming Northern Ireland’s first nationalist First Minister, while the DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly took up the role of deputy First Minster.
Stormont has lobbied for extra money from the UK Government to address funding pressures in public services, particularly in the health service.
In his speech, the Northern Ireland Secretary will congratulate the First and deputy First Minister for a “successful start”.
But regarding the health service, he will say the Executive needs to make “difficult collective decisions required to enable change to succeed” – decisions, he will say, that are “now unavoidable”.
The Secretary of State will set out three challenges facing the region – the reform and delivery of public services; ensuring the smooth flow of goods across the UK while seeking to deepen trade ties with Europe; and the need for sustainable, long-term economic growth.
He will tell the audience: “I frequently hear it said that more funding is required from the UK Government and that that is the reason why public services are in such a state.
“But given the needs-based formula that is now in place, UK Government lack of funding is not the impediment to public service transformation.
“The real impediment has been the failure to reform the system; the many missed opportunities to take decisions, or to apply learning from other parts of the UK.”
He will state that while sometimes that happened because there was no Executive in place, it’s also been down to Stormont ministers arguing about what changes need to happen or how much they will cost.
Turning to the province’s place in the union, Mr Benn will say: “For as long as the people of Northern Ireland wish for it to be so, Northern Ireland’s place in the union is secure.
“The task now for us as politicians is to ensure that the union continues to improve the lives of all communities, regardless of their constitutional ambition.”
Mr Benn will also commend DUP leader Gavin Robinson and Ms Little-Pengelly for the role they played in helping to lead the unionist party back into the Executive last year following the suspension.
He will say: “For my part, let me say that I am committed to continuing to work in good faith to implement the basis upon which devolution was restored.”
He will also say that he is determined to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits from UK Government initiatives designed to generate economic growth and power the green transition.
Putting together a 10-year infrastructure strategy and National Wealth Fund, he said, will combine with an industrial strategy to “mobilise billions of pounds of investment, including Northern Ireland’s strengths in areas like fin-tech and the creative industries.”