No blank cheque for Casement Park - Hilary Benn

Labour cannot write a blank cheque for the rebuilding of Belfast's Casement Park, Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn has said.

Hopes that the project could be completed in time for the Euro 2028 football tournament have been fading.

Northern Ireland is due to host five games in the football championships at Casement Park in west Belfast.

But the stadium site remains derelict and redevelopment work has yet to begin.

Speaking on the Good Morning Ulster programme, Mr Benn said "we would all like Casement to be built" in time for the tournament.

However, he said it was not even clear what the final cost of the project would be.

"The cost has gone from the original figure of £77.5m to now potentially over £300m, which is a huge increase," he said.

"The question is, where is the rest of the very considerably increased amount of money that will be required.

"I can’t give a blank cheque and you wouldn’t expect me to given the huge rise in the costs there have been and we don’t yet know what the full sum is.

"What I do commit to do is to sit down urgently with all of the parties and say – there’s a responsibility on the UK government to make a contribution – but can the other parties contribute more and where that leaves you in relation to the total overall cost."

'Rubbed from the roster'

Speaking on the same programme, former senior Uefa strategist Ian Mallon said he "understands absolutely that Northern Ireland will be rubbed from the roster of Uefa Euro 2028.

"The planning is going on without Northern Ireland," he said.

"It’s such a huge problem and such a huge disappointment for Northern Ireland."

Mr Mallon said he had contacted someone “very senior” involved operationally in the tournament and asked him "would it be fair if I go on this breakfast programme in the morning to say Northern Ireland will not be part of it.

"I just got back a simple ‘yep’."

Analysis by Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI political correspondent

If the Conservatives are preparing to leave the political pitch after 14 years in charge, the party that could be replacing it In government is tip-toeing carefully around Casement Park.

Labour finds itself in a spot not of its making, as it didn’t make the initial promise to “get the money” - that rests at the feet of the outgoing Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris.

But Hillary Benn, who could soon be the next occupant of the Northern Ireland Office, wasn’t prepared to keep up the pledge and said there could be “no blank cheque”.

There are the spiralling costs of the redevelopment to consider, and forking out a large sum of cash in a place where Labour doesn’t get any votes may not be a winning move in the fledging days of the next government.

Hillary Benn spoke of sitting down “urgently” to discuss the situation in the event his party wins power in 16 days from now.

But one way or another, it is starting to feel like the final whistle will be blown very soon.

'Final whistle'

Northern Ireland is due to host five games in the 2028 championships.

Last week, Ulster GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) confirmed attempts were still being made to keep the project alive.

They said they remained “fully committed to doing everything we can in the coming weeks”.

Supporters of the project had been clinging to the belief that the next UK government, after the 4 July election, might provide the necessary funding.

One official told BBC News NI: “We’re in added time of extra time, but the final whistle hasn’t gone yet.”