New Northern Ireland Secretary says his 'door will be open' to all Stormont parties

NEW NORTHERN IRELAND Secretary Chris Bryant has said his door will be open to all the Stormont parties and all communities after his appointment by new PM Andy Burnham.

In a statement this evening, Bryant said he is focused on maintaining political stability and promoting economic growth.

“I want to be very clear from the outset: my door will be open to all parties and all communities,” he said.

“We are going to work together constructively to keep building a stable, prosperous future for everyone in Northern Ireland.

“Our focus is simple: maintaining political stability, promoting economic growth, and making sure devolved government delivers for people in their everyday lives.

“We need to make sure that every young person sees an economic opportunity for themselves in Northern Ireland, and for their family.”

There has been a mixed reaction from Northern Ireland’s parties to Bryant so far.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald and deputy president and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said they spoke with Bryant by phone.

They said they urged a “change of approach” by the Labour government in how its decisions are badly impacting workers and families; in dealing with the legacy of the past and ending immunity from prosecution of British State forces; on political reform of the Stormont institutions; and the future constitutional position of Ireland and Irish unity.

McDonald insisted the “political realities in Britain and Ireland are rapidly changing”, and the “next part of this island’s political journey is focused on our constitutional future beyond the Union, and Irish unity”.

O’Neill added: “The Executive is not being funded fairly which is devastating public services. Westminster is hampering the efforts of local ministers to deliver our agenda. The cost-of-living pressures on workers and families and a budget that helps give relief must be prioritised.”

Speaking to reporters in East Belfast, DUP leader Gavin Robinson conceded Bryant is “very favourable toward the European Union”.

He said: “We need to have an arrangement with our Government that ensures we are not at a detriment to other parts of this United Kingdom.

“And to put it in stark terms, look today about the Government’s decision to remove VAT from some of the utility bills that people face – that’s a good thing.

“But in Northern Ireland, they’re going to have to transfer the cash rather than just give us the straight VAT decision.

“Why is that? Because they need the European Union’s agreement, and it seems as if we have a Government that’s not even prepared to ask.

“What does that say about their reset of relationships, if they’re not able to pass on the same VAT reduction on the same terms as the rest of the United Kingdom?”.

Meanwhile, TUV leader Jim Allister described Bryant as an “EU fanatic” on X, adding that he has “little expectation” he will advocate for Northern Ireland “against EU colonialism”.

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Bryant replied: “Jim I look forward to working with you for a strong Northern Ireland in a strong United Kingdom.”

Elsewhere, Foreign Affairs minister Helen McEntee today spoke with Bryant and said that the two “share the same commitment to delivering for the people of Northern Ireland and building relationships across these islands”.

McEntee said she “emphasised the need for swift implementation of the commitments made by both governments under the Joint Framework on the Legacy of the Troubles”.

McEntee added that they “also discussed EU-UK relations and my desire during our Presidency to build on progress made over the past two years”.

“No doubt there will be challenging times, but I am confident that by working closely together as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, we can navigate those and deliver for people across these islands.”

Electricity bills cut

Earlier, a Stormont minister criticised Northern Ireland’s exemption from Burnham’s tax cut on electricity bills as showing the “madness” of the region’s relationship with the EU.

In his first significant policy as Prime Minister, Burnham announced an £850 million (€997.59 million) tax cut on energy bills to help ease the cost-of-living crisis.

From 1 October, electricity bills will be VAT free in England, Scotland and Wales – saving households about £45 (€53) a year, the UK Government has said.

Because of post-Brexit rules under the Windsor Framework, EU VAT rates apply on electricity bills in Northern Ireland – so the cut will not apply.

It is planned that the Stormont executive will be given funding to implement an equivalent level of support.

DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said the British Government has been “far too willing to do the EU’s work, and we haven’t seen what we need to see in terms of the repair of the damage done to that relationship between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK”.

He told BBC Ulster’s Nolan Programme: “I don’t think you see this anywhere more clearly than the issue that has come up this morning, where you have the UK Government wanting to reduce VAT on UK household bills, and because of the rules that have been put in place by the EU, we’re unable to do that in Northern Ireland.”

Lyons also called for the funding to be implemented directly via a derogation from the EU as a “far more preferable way of ensuring that people in Northern Ireland get this additional bit of support”.

He said the Government deciding to allow Stormont to administer the scheme rather than achieve agreement with the EU showed they feel “that’s hassle, that’s difficulty, so instead of that, we’re just going to throw it over to the executive instead”.

He added: “That goes to the heart of the problems that we are facing, it’s that rules were put in place that are not in any way sensible.

“They’re not about protecting people from the changes that came about as a result of Brexit, but they seem to be adding in additional difficulties.”

Burnham has also scrapped the previous government’s plans for a digital ID scheme and pledged to build more council housing, with Lyons saying the former Manchester mayor “has taken on some DUP policies”.

“I’m quite happy with that,” he said.

“But there are many other issues on welfare, on how we support business, on how we reward those who work hard, all of those issues need to be dealt with as well.

“There have been some good words, I understand that rhetoric needs to turn into results.”