The UK government has announced that Northern Ireland will not receive any new money from the Levelling Up fund.

Describing the withdrawal of Levelling Up funding as the "latest example of the economic harm caused by the DUP's Stormont boycott", SDLP South Belfast MP Claire Hanna said: "The UK Government never seem to need an excuse to underinvest in Northern Ireland and the DUP's continued boycott of Stormont has handed them the perfect cover to leave our services and infrastructure to rot. At a time when we are crying out for funding, many community projects will have lost out on the opportunity for money that would have made a real difference to places across the North.

"It's laughable to hear the DUP talking about economic blackmail when they have been holding the people of Northern Ireland to ransom for the past year and a half. No matter what hardship has afflicted people here, from the cost of living emergency to the collapse of our health service, the DUP have remained unmoved and put their own political concerns over the needs of people who are struggling.

"With each passing day the democratic deficit is increasingly untenable. We are not deaf to the concerns of ordinary unionists around identity and the post-Brexit trading arrangements but there can be no justification for the DUP's refusal to get back to work and do their jobs. There has been much talk in recent days about a return to Stormont and I sincerely hope it happens because every day in the interim people's lives are getting worse."