Sir Chris Bryant, the Secretary of State, is scheduled to hold talks with Northern Ireland's political parties today, Monday 7 September 2026, in an effort to resolve the ongoing budget deadlock. This marks his first visit to Stormont as Secretary of State.
The executive has indicated it requires additional support from the Westminster government to agree a budget for the current financial year. Following a missed deadline in August, Stormont officials were given legal authority to spend up to 95% of the previous year's funding in the absence of a ministerial budget agreement. Prime Minister Andy Burnham last week pledged to ensure the Stormont government functions properly with a budget, though the amount of potential London funding remains unclear.
Sir Chris will discuss the budget issue and seek views on potential reforms to the institutions. Alliance and the SDLP have previously advocated for reforms to prevent future collapses of the power-sharing arrangements. Sinn Féin, the largest party at Stormont, published proposals in June calling for similar measures, including the removal of a "veto" on executive formation, which currently allows parties to block the nomination of first and deputy first ministers. Sinn Féin argues that if a party chooses not to nominate, the opportunity should pass to others to ensure continued functioning while maintaining power-sharing principles.
Any changes to the current structures would necessitate legislation from the UK government. The pace at which the Secretary of State intends to advance discussions on reform is not specified, with the next assembly election due in May 2027.