**UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he will work to “move things forward” on Stormont’s budget impasse**
*Belfast, 28 August 2026* – Prime Minister Andy Burnham, on his first visit to Northern Ireland since taking office, said he intends to help resolve the ongoing budget stalemate at Stormont. Burnham met with First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little‑Pengelly and representatives from the region’s political parties to discuss the financial pressures facing public services.
Since April, devolved ministers have been operating on contingency budgets after failing to agree a budget for the current financial year. Officials have repeatedly warned that additional funding from the UK Treasury is required to address the funding shortfall.
Speaking at the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, Burnham said he was “in listening mode” and wanted to “have an honest exchange” with Northern Irish leaders. “I am five weeks in office and I am here in Northern Ireland because I want to work with the new Northern Ireland Secretary to see if we can move things forward, listen to what people have to say,” he told reporters.
He added that the government would consider possible savings and alternative approaches, stressing the need for a solution that is “fair across the whole of the UK when it comes to a budget.” Burnham said he would take the discussions back to London later in the day.
When asked about remarks he had made regarding “political point‑scoring” restricting opportunities in the region, Burnham praised the working relationship between O’Neill and Little‑Pengelly. “If you look at how the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister work, I think it is to their great credit that they work in the way that they do,” he said. “I do feel politics more broadly needs to move to a different way of working where we put the place first, rather than the party first.”
Earlier in the week, Burnham announced plans for a summit in the autumn that will bring together the leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to discuss ways to boost the UK economy.
First Minister O’Neill said the “big focus” of Burnham’s visit would be the budget. “We need Andy Burnham to actually deliver in terms of getting a fair budget
Article and image source: breakingnews.ie
