SDLP Criticises Executive's "Insufficient" Budget

SDLP South Down MLA Colin McGrath has voiced strong criticism of the Executive's final budget for 2025/26, asserting that it will fail to adequately address the numerous challenges facing Northern Ireland. His comments followed the budget's approval at an Executive meeting on Thursday.

Mr McGrath acknowledged some minor increases in funding for areas such as cutting waiting lists, Special Educational Needs (SEN), and protecting Lough Neagh. However, he stated: "While some small increases in funding for cutting waiting lists, special educational needs and protecting Lough Neagh are welcome, we cannot ignore the fact that the Executive's final Budget is more of the same and lacks the resources to make any meaningful progress. Instead of focusing relentlessly on the most pressing issues, the Executive has handed out money on a piecemeal basis when a clear-eyed funding strategy is needed." The South Down MLA also criticised the Executive's approach to financial planning, arguing for the need for a longer-term perspective. "Given the scale of the challenges and the decimation of our public services it's clear that approaching our finances on a yearly basis isn't going to work. We need the certainty of multi-year budgeting and I cannot understand why successive Ministers have failed to do what's needed to bring it forward," he said. 

Mr McGrath further accused the Executive of deflecting responsibility for the current financial situation. "The Executive has also refused to take any responsibility for the position they find themselves in, choosing instead to place the blame for everything at the feet of the UK Government while patting themselves on the back for doing very little. Even today, as this budget was signed off they were more concerned with rowing over Irish language signs at a train station when it was their responsibility to make sure they were included in the first place," he added, referencing a separate ongoing issue.

In conclusion, Mr McGrath expressed concern for ordinary people: "The stark reality is that if you are a patient on a health waiting list, a parent facing sky-high childcare costs or a family struggling to get on the housing ladder or pay your rent, there is very little in this Budget for you. Instead of 'doing what matters most' this Budget is more of the same and will leave us back here next year lamenting the same old problems and the Executive's failure to solve them."