New Northern Ireland secretary slapped down by DUP for 'clumsy' remarks about £1billion deal

The new Northern Ireland secretary has admitted she was “clumsy” for saying that the Government had not yet started spending the £1billion agreed under the confidence and supply arrangement.

The comments by Karen Bradley infuriated Nigel Dodds, the Westminster leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, who wrote on Twitter: “"Oh dear...some already released. Rest on way. This is not correct."

Mrs Bradley is just over a week into the job. She replaced James Brokenshire after he resigned from the Government on health grounds last week.

The Secretary of State was  forced to clarify remarks she made in a sit-down round of questions with the print media about the DUP's confidence and supply deal with her minority government at Westminster.

She had indicated to reporters the release of the full £1 billion earmarked for the region as part of that agreement was dependent on the restoration of power sharing.

"A budget that's going to be administered needs ministers to administer it," she said. "It needs Stormont to do it."

However, Ms Bradley later contacted the Press Association to say her comments on the £1 billion had been "possibly clumsy".

She insisted the Government acknowledged the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland and while the preference was for devolved ministers to administer that money, it would not be held back in the event of Stormont not returning.

The Cabinet minister was  in Northern Ireland to give Northern Ireland's political leaders two weeks to re-establish a power-sharing executive after being without one for more than a year.

The Democratic Unionist/Sinn Fein-led coalition imploded in a row over a botched green energy scheme but the rift between the two largest parties subsequently widened to take in more long-standing cultural and legacy disputes.

Proposals to protect Irish language speakers, the ban on same-sex marriage and a lack of consensus on how to deal with the legacy of the Troubles remain key areas of disagreement

Mrs Bradley characterised the talks as the "last opportunity" to find a resolution.

She said failure to make "rapid progress" would mean her government would face significant decisions, including setting a budget for the new financial year.

Mrs Bradley said the need for a solution was "urgent" and the political consequences of failing to reach a deal would present a "significant setback to the progress" made since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.