The First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, has said she will use her first meeting with the new British prime minister to press for a “different approach” from Westminster, prioritising fair funding for public services and measures to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
O’Neill sets out priorities for first meeting with Mr Burnham
Andy Burnham was formally confirmed as leader of the Labour Party at a conference in London and is due to take office next week. In response, Ms O’Neill — who also serves as vice-president of Sinn Féin — welcomed his appointment but said the British Government must change course.
“A different approach is needed from the British Government,” she said. “Successive British governments have implemented policies that have been catastrophic for ordinary people. They have cut vital public services, deepened inequalities, and left families struggling through a cost-of-living crisis while a small elite continues to accumulate enormous wealth.”
Ms O’Neill told reporters she stands “ready to work constructively” with Mr Burnham and intends to press three central demands at their first meeting: fairer funding for Northern Ireland’s public services, action to relieve pressures on households facing rising living costs, and respect for the region’s democratic rights concerning its constitutional future.
What she will ask for
- Fair funding for health, education and public services across Northern Ireland.
- Help with the cost-of-living for families and vulnerable households.
- Respect for democratic choice on Northern Ireland’s constitutional future and the principle of self-determination.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Burnham said he would devolve more power to English regions, arguing that decision-making should be taken closer to where people live. Ms O’Neill said she will press him to apply a different stance from previous UK administrations and to engage constructively with the Northern Ireland Executive on funding arrangements and service provision.
Local and political context
The exchange highlights tensions around funding and devolution that have long shaped relations between Stormont and Westminster. Ms O’Neill emphasised that recent UK governments’ policies had, in her view, worsened inequality and damaged public services — a line that signals an expectation of immediate and visible change from Mr Burnham if he is to build constructive cross-government relations.
| Issue | O’Neill's demand |
|---|---|
| Public services | Fairer funding to address pressures on health, education and local services |
| Cost of living | Measures to relieve household financial strain |
| Constitutional future | Respect for democratic right to determine Northern Ireland’s future |
Ms O’Neill concluded by saying she looked forward to meeting Mr Burnham and would press for these priorities to be addressed. Her comments frame the upcoming discussions as a test of the new prime minister’s approach to devolved government and to the specific needs of Northern Ireland amid continuing economic and political pressures.
As the new government forms, the meeting between Stormont and Westminster will be watched closely by politicians and service providers in Northern Ireland, who will be seeking clarity on funding and policy direction.
Leo Wright
Slough Correspondent, InfoRadar
