Northern Ireland's First Minister has declared that the most significant obstacle facing the Stormont Assembly is the "severe underfunding of public services", while sharply criticising the UK's Labour government for breaking its promises.
Executive Relations and Funding Crisis
In her New Year message, Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Fein acknowledged that relations within the power-sharing Executive, which includes ministers from four different parties, are "difficult and complex". However, she insisted these internal dynamics are secondary to the financial pressures imposed from Westminster.
O'Neill directly accused the Labour Government, elected in 2024, of making "false promises of a new dawn" after years of Conservative cuts. She argued that, faced with a continuing cost-of-living crisis and a recent budget, Labour has merely followed the Tory path of austerity.
The First Minister pointed to recent struggles within the devolved administration, including the difficulty in finding funds to deliver pay parity for healthcare workers, teachers, and police staff with their counterparts elsewhere in the UK.
Call for Constitutional Change
O'Neill used her statement to reiterate her party's core political objective, stating that London has "never and will never prioritise the interests of the people of the north of Ireland". She argued that sustainable public services can only be built when decisions are made on the island of Ireland itself.
She urged both the British and Irish governments to begin preparations for constitutional change, reinforcing Sinn Fein's call for a referendum on Irish unity by 2030. "Only where we can make our own decisions on this island will we be able to build sustainable public services," she said.
Political Reactions and the Year Ahead
The call for a border poll was swiftly dismissed by DUP MP Gregory Campbell, who described the demand as "pointless". He challenged Sinn Fein to bring their supporters "back down to earth" from what he termed a "fantasy world", arguing that politics in Northern Ireland can only progress by agreement.
Despite the political tensions, O'Neill struck an optimistic note for 2026, highlighting Belfast's upcoming hosting of the major Irish cultural festival, Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann. She described it as a significant moment for Irish culture and language, following the historic appointment of Northern Ireland's first Irish Language Commissioner in October 2025.
Almost two years after the restoration of devolved government, the First Minister concluded that while collaboration is challenging, real progress is possible when ministers work together constructively. She ended with an Irish proverb: "Tus maith leath na hoibre – a good start is half the work."
