NI secretary Sir Chris Bryant orders 'contingency plans' as Stormont fails to agree a budget

From the Newshound archive · first published 1 October 2026.

Sir Chris Bryant has warned he cannot "countenance further delays" over Stormont's failure to agree a budget, instructing officials to draw up contingency plans that could see Westminster impose one directly. The Northern Ireland Executive had rejected the government's £1.5bn three-year offer as insufficient, citing a £1.6bn funding gap in this year's budget alone. Bryant's original Thursday deadline passed without agreement after Stormont parties asked for more time in the wake of the Drumcree dispute.

Bryant told the executive in a letter he must "prepare for all eventualities" and urged parties to respond "as soon as possible."

If Stormont cannot set its own budget, the secretary of state would be required to step in and set one from Westminster.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham last week called on parties to be "realistic" and accept the offer, branding it a "final" deal.