The Northern Ireland Assembly has supported the first budget of Finance Minister Peter Robinson despite the decision of the SDLP and Alliance members to oppose it.
Sole SDLP Minister Margaret Ritchie voted for the budget to avoid being in breach of the ministerial code, which demands unanimity on the question, and thus splitting the Executive.
Ulster Unionist members supported the three-year spending plan but used a series of speeches in yesterday's six-hour debate to criticise it severely.
Mr Robinson angrily condemned the SDLP's opposition to the budget, claiming it was a political stunt devoid of principle.
In an at-times acrimonious debate, he singled out Ms Ritchie, accusing her of failing to raise any concerns around the Executive table during discussions.
He repeatedly accused the SDLP of engaging in "opposition for opposition's sake", and made a series of allegations which he said highlighted an absence of principle. Ms Ritchie had expected her colleagues to back the budget, Mr Robinson claimed.
It was the duty of a minister to table an amendment at the Executive, he argued. "If one is a member of the Executive then that is where one [ voices opposition] first." Failure to do so was "a disgrace" he said, adding that he had been allowed to believe that all outstanding issues had been resolved to her satisfaction before the budget was finally brought before the Assembly.
"It is my responsibility to ensure that all four parties go along with the budget," he said.
SDLP leader Mark Durkan defended his party's actions, claiming that the duty to back the budget was binding on Ministers but not on their party.
"If this Assembly was just there to rubber-stamp whatever the Executive agrees then we shouldn't have this Assembly," he added.
SDLP opposition to the budget was based on manifesto commitments, he added. Privately, many SDLP members were pleased at what they saw as an opportunity to stand against the Sinn Féin-DUP led Executive.
Mr Robinson also criticised Alliance members for their opposition, claiming they were wedded to the notion that reducing the costs of communal division was a "panacea" for budgetary restrictions.
Dr Stephen Farry defended his party and accused Mr Robinson of devising a budget for a low-tax economy with poor growth levels.
"Last week the Minister (Mr Robinson) talked about everybody putting their shoulder to the wheel in this new Northern Ireland, well some of us have doubts about the direction in which we are actually going," he said.
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said the SDLP had lost its way and was devoid of principle on the issue.
"I am talking about a lack of considered and consistent leadership," he said outside the chamber. "One week the SDLP votes for a programme for government and a budget and this week they vote against it. They have given no rational or logical answer for doing so."
Amendments to the budget tabled by both Alliance and SDLP groups were voted down and the budget was passed by 67 votes to 21.
With virtually unanimous unionist support and Sinn Féin supplying the necessary cross-community level of voting, the budget was finally passed.