SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP has called on the UK Government to establish a fair funding settlement for Northern Ireland.
Ms Hanna has written to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the Budget, setting out six key asks.
South Belfast and Mid Down MP Claire Hanna said:
“There is no overstating the harm caused by instability and austerity over recent years. This week’s Budget provides the UK Government with an opportunity to chart a new course, one defined by ambition, that recognises the pressures on communities and which rebuilds public services.
“We need to see a particular focus on providing a fairer funding settlement for Northern Ireland. It is now an accepted fact that our region hasn’t been funded appropriately and that we have our own unique needs and circumstances which the Chancellor must recognise. We need multi-year budgets from both London and Belfast and recognition that the current arrangements only encourage the Stormont’s Executive’s short-term and paint-by-numbers approach.
“Financial certainty, further fiscal devolution and a more constructive working relationship will better allow us to address our mounting challenges and create opportunities for the future, and that's the message we are taking to the government. I hope to see a new economic vision, one that brings hope instead of hardship, in the Chancellor’s Budget this week.”