Ms Eastwood has said: “This was Labour’s chance to break with the past, reject the failed model of austerity, and invest in a fairer, more secure future. Instead, we’ve got more of the same – short-term thinking, cuts, and a government afraid to make the super-wealthy pay their way.

“Thousands of our children In Northern Ireland have been pushed into poverty while successive governments have defended the cruel two child limit policy, and now should’ve been the time to see it scrapped for good. The cuts proposed to disability support are also both unforgivable and economically detrimental, and it’s disappointing to see them carried forward despite the inevitable U-turn yesterday around winter fuel payments.

“To have even considered taking support away from pensioners and other vulnerable people during a cost-of-living crisis was not just a misstep, it was a disgrace.

“While investment in the NHS and Casement Park is a positive step forward, it cannot, however, distract from the damage inflicted by cuts elsewhere and the refusal to introduce a fair wealth tax.

“We now need to see the funding that has been allocated used to prioritise long-term transformation in our public services, with a particular focus on the health system and improving patient outcomes, properly funding policing and justice, and bolstering our social security systems.

“Northern Ireland needs sustainable investment, not more uncertainty. While we look further into the detail of this announcement, Alliance has been and will always be committed to helping create a prosperous society in NI, and delivering the services people here deserve.”