THE government has tried bribing Stormont to agree a budget by offering an extra £1.5 billion over three years. Now it is skirting with the appearance of trying to bribe the public.

This week’s Westminster budget includes a £100 cost of living payment for the 80% of households in England in council tax bands A to D.

Stormont will receive an equivalent sum through the Barnett formula to spend as it wishes.

Because such sums are topped up by 24% to reflect higher need in Northern Ireland, there should be enough for £100 payments to every household here.

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That would also avoid the cost and delay of having to create a bespoke means test, given that we have no equivalent of council tax bands.

However, Stormont cannot spend any of the extra money it is about to receive unless it agrees its own budget. Chris Bryant, the secretary of state, has been quick to point this out.

The Executive might have better uses for the money than giving every household £100, but no party will want to stick its head above the parapet to say so before a decision is made.

So every voter will be expecting a cheque if the Executive gets its act together. That must apply some political pressure.

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DUP MP Carla Lockhart has argued that Michelle O’Neill can be removed as first minister without damaging day-to-day business at Stormont.

Other DUP figures have expressed the same view that a Drumcree punishment can be imposed on Sinn Féin without punishing the public.

Ms Lockhart has now gone further, claiming an Executive without first ministers could still agree a budget.

Removing a first minister puts the Executive in caretaker mode, with the remaining ministers legally barred from making significant, controversial or multi-departmental decisions or proposing legislation. A budget is significant........

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