Brokenshire’s budget regret

NORTHERN Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has said he does not intend to appoint ministers to take political control at Stormont as he introduced budget measures with the “utmost reluctance”.

He said parties must resolve the issues to end the powersharing deadlock, as a budget for Northern Ireland was put to the Commons in lieu of an agreement between the DUP and Sinn Fein to return to government.

He told MPs he was taking the measure with “the utmost reluctance and only because there is no other choice available”, stressing his “strong preference” would be for a restored executive to bring forward its own budget.