Opinion

Concern over widening funding gap as political impasse continues

Secretary of state Julian Smith has issued a stark warning to local politicians that there are 'no more excuses' for failing to restore the devolved institutions.

The issue is whether the main parties feel sufficiently motivated to make a deal to get Stormont up and running and the truth is there is little sign of any momentum towards such an outcome.

It is a month since Mr Smith took over the Northern Ireland portfolio from his predecessor Karen Bradley, a minister who managed to unite the parties in terms of their disdain for her abilities but achieved little else during her dispiriting tenure.

Her successor at least took questions from the press yesterday, something Mrs Bradley failed to do on a regular basis, adding to the sense that she was out of her depth and determined not to do anything of significance during her time here.

She did call the parties together for talks but there was no real impetus or pressure to reach a deal and so the discussions have simply been allowed to drift.

It does not help that the DUP are a key prop to the Conservative government so any Tory secretary of state is hardly going to be regarded as a neutral player.

But there is growing frustration at the lack of decision making in the north and while the civil servants are keeping services running, there is a concern that in areas where we are already falling behind it will become increasingly difficult to maintain standards.

This week Heather Weir, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Hospice, highlighted the fact that services in England will be getting a £25 million funding boost but the north will miss out.

She said it was a 'huge shame and an injustice' that people here with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions are not receiving the same level of support as elsewhere in the UK.

After two and a half years without an executive, it is not clear when we will again have locally-elected ministers taking crucial decisions that impact on people's lives.

Mr Smith issued a reminder that a range of policies, including liberalising the laws on same-sex marriage and abortion, will be introduced by Westminster in October if devolution is not restored.

Such important and sensitive matters should be determined by a devolved assembly however there is little to indicate that the talks impasse is about to be broken.