Ministers have faced suggestions from the DUP that the UK Government has been “gaslighting” the people of Northern Ireland over funding.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) warned the “Barnett squeeze is getting greater”, while DUP colleague Gavin Robinson described “systemic underfunding of the Northern Ireland budget”, as the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill cleared the Commons.
Outlining the legislation, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker told MPs the Bill would “ensure a continuation of the current governance arrangements in Northern Ireland… should there be no executive when they expire on June 5”.
