Northern Ireland's politicians hope for multi-billion pound Treasury package after Stormont revival

THE prospect of a multi-billion pound aid package for Northern Ireland has been raised as Boris Johnson hailed the "wonderful" cross-party compromise which has secured the return of power-sharing in Northern Ireland. The Prime Minister praised politicians who had "put aside their differences, stepped up to the plate and showed leadership" in reaching the so-called "New Decade, New Approach" deal, which has seen Stormont revived after a three-year suspension during which public services like healthcare and education have suffered. After meeting the Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein's Vice President Michelle O'Neill, the new First and Deputy First Ministers, and taking lunch with Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, Mr Johnson - in reference to a famous quote by former premier Tony Blair - said: "Never mind the hand of history on my shoulder, I see the hand of the future beckoning us all forward. "And I hope with goodwill, compromise and hard work on all sides it will be a very bright future indeed." But the question of how much taxpayers' money the UK Government was prepared to stump up was in politicians' minds. Edwin Poots, the DUP's Agriculture Minister, suggested the figure could be more than £2 billion. Referring to talks with Julian Smith he told BBC Radio Ulster the Northern Ireland Secretary "didn't want to make any promise of a figure and I said: 'Well, all you have to say is 'billions,'' and that would be, of course, at least two billion". Mr Poots raised the possibility of extra money coming with "strings attached" such as hiking water rates. After Mr Smith pledged major investment to help the province's struggling public services, Mr Johnson said: "We are, in the UK Government, making huge commitments, which will b