NI Ministers press PM on fair funding, trade tariffs, and AI in constructive London meeting

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly pictured with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer following their meeting today.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer today to highlight Northern Ireland’s pressing economic and political challenges, during what was described as a “constructive” and “wide-ranging” meeting in London.

The engagement focused on a series of high-priority issues, including next month’s UK Spending Review, public sector underfunding, welfare reform, international trade tariffs, and the implementation of the EU-UK reset deal.

The discussion comes at a pivotal time for Northern Ireland, as the Executive seeks a more equitable financial settlement and clarity on post-Brexit trading arrangements.

“It is important that we were able to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss some of the key issues affecting our people and our economy,” said First Minister Michelle O’Neill.

“We had a constructive meeting during which we spoke about the upcoming Spending Review and the impact of long-term underfunding on our public services.

“There is an opportunity now to rectify that, so we pressed the Prime Minister again on the need for a fair funding model to enable us to invest in our public services to ensure they can properly meet the needs of all our people.”

The First Minister also emphasised the importance of Northern Ireland’s voice in ongoing trade talks.

“We also spoke about the EU reset deal and trade tariffs, making it clear that our unique circumstances and priorities must be considered in any trade negotiations going forward in order to further reduce barriers to growth,” she added.

Echoing these concerns, deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said:

“We had a very constructive discussion with the Prime Minister during which we raised a number of key issues.

“In relation to the EU-UK Trade Deal we emphasised the importance of removing bureaucracy for our businesses. We recognise that there is still a lot of detail to work through, but today was an opportunity to remind the Prime Minister that it is vital Northern Ireland’s interests are protected and that the UK Government must do their bit to remove red tape and support our businesses.”

She further underlined the importance of adequate funding and future-readiness:

“We raised issues around the Spending Review, stressing the importance of investment and proper funding for our public services. We also discussed the opportunities presented by AI and how best to use it in order to support future growth across various sectors.”

The meeting formed part of a wider engagement involving the devolved administrations. The Northern Ireland Ministers joined counterparts from Scotland, Wales, and London, as well as regional mayors and senior UK Government figures including Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden, for the Council of the Nations and Regions meeting.

This session explored ways to harness trade and artificial intelligence to stimulate regional growth and public sector reform. The integration of AI in government services was noted as a key theme, reflecting a UK-wide push to modernise and improve public administration.

As the Spending Review looms and Brexit-related frameworks evolve, today’s discussions underscore the ongoing complexity of devolved governance and the need for meaningful, sustained engagement between the UK Government and the administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.