Public services in Northern Ireland are in the state they are in because of “many missed opportunities to take decisions” or to apply learning from elsewhere, Secretary of State Hilary Benn will argue in a speech on Tuesday marking the one year anniversary of the restoration of the Executive.
Lack of funding from the UK Government is not a block on public service transformation, rather the “real impediment” is the failure to reform the system here in the north, Mr Benn says in a speech to be delivered in Belfast.
While praising First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly on a “successful start”, Mr Benn will link their leadership to the health service.
It is in a place where “the challenge now for the Executive is to take the difficult collective decisions that are required to enable this change to succeed”, he will say.
“Doing so is now unavoidable,” he adds.
Reform and delivery of public services, ensuring the smooth flow of goods across the UK, seeking to deepen trade ties with Europe and the need for sustainable, long term economic growth are the key messages Mr Benn wants to deliver.
“I frequently hear it said that more funding is required from the UK Government and that that is the reason why public services are in such a state,” Mr Benn will say.
“But given the needs-based formula that is now in place, UK Government lack of funding is not the impediment to public service transformation.
“The real impediment has been the failure to reform the system. The many missed opportunities to take decisions, or to apply learning from other parts of the UK. Of course, this has at times been down to there being no Executive in place to take decisions.
“At other times, there has simply been a lack of agreement among Executive Ministers on the steps that need to be taken, or on the revenue that needs to be raised, or on the allocation of resources.”
He will add: “We want the UK Government to be an active partner and to encourage greater collaboration and sharing of expertise, so helping Northern Ireland to make progress.
On the north’s place in the UK, he will say that London “will always uphold - in good faith - the Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent on which it rests”.
“And for as long as the people of Northern Ireland wish for it to be so, Northern Ireland’s place in the Union is secure.
“The task now for us as politicians is to ensure that the Union continues to improve the lives of all communities, regardless of their constitutional ambition.”
Mr Benn will praise the roles played by the leader of the DUP, Gavin Robinson, and the deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly in restoring the institutions, claiming they displayed “courage and commitment” leading their party back into the Executive.
“And for my part, let me say that I am committed to continuing to work in good faith to implement the basis upon which devolution was restored,” Mr Benn will say.
He will add: “I am determined to ensure that Northern Ireland benefits from UK Government initiatives designed to generate economic growth and power the green transition.
“Central to this will be our new modern industrial strategy - Invest 2035 - and our commitment to make the whole of the UK a clean energy superpower with GB Energy, a publicly owned company, at its heart.”
Further, the UK Government “will work closely with the Executive and the other devolved governments on our 10-year Infrastructure Strategy and the National Wealth Fund to ensure the benefits are felt UK-wide”.
“Alongside our Industrial Strategy, they will mobilise billions of pounds of investment in the UK’s world-leading industries, including Northern Ireland’s strengths in areas like fin-tech and the creative industries.”
