Sir Chris Bryant, the newly appointed secretary of state, has arrived in Northern Ireland stating his intention to address pressing issues with a "checklist of things I want to get sorted" rather than immediate financial commitments. His visit comes as parties within the Northern Ireland Executive are seeking increased government funding to establish a budget.
As a deadline passes without an executive budget, Stormont officials are set to gain the legal authority to expend up to 95% of last year's funding starting Saturday. Sir Chris's visit on Friday includes engagements and meetings with political parties at Hillsborough Castle. This marks his first trip since his appointment following Prime Minister Andy Burnham's recent Cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking on Friday, Sir Chris acknowledged the financial pressures faced by the Executive. "I know everybody expects me to come with a chequebook - I'm actually coming with a checklist of things I want to get sorted," he told BBC News NI. He expressed a desire to "get to decisions as soon as possible" and indicated plans for meetings with both local executive members and Westminster colleagues to determine how to move forward, emphasizing that "everybody's going to have to give a bit."
While parties have made significant representations regarding funding, Sir Chris stated he would not have a "set of decisions for people" during his Friday visit. He committed to working on the issue with speed, aiming to ensure the "executive to function" and "public services in Northern Ireland really to deliver."