Getting back to Business?

While the rest of the world's governments are preparing themselves to deal with the current financial situation our own Assembly is not doing much at all really. Gerry Adams preposterous outburst in the last day should be treated with the contempt that it deserves:

"In addition, there are clearly elements of the DUP who really don't want to have a Catholic about the place. They are opposed to power sharing in any form.

"And some of them clearly believe that by stalling and delaying they can hollow out the Good Friday and St Andrews Agreements.

"As a result of this opposition the DUP has been retreating from its obligations under the St Andrews Agreement."

It is not the DUP who have brought this down to sectarian tit-for-tat nonsense, it has been Sinn Fein (and Adams in particular) who are attempting to build for themselves a Catholics v Protestant scenario in order to galvinise their own support. Its is about time democrats stood together against this deliberate ploy. I for one do agree with Pete Bakers analysis on the issue of the devolution of Policing & Justice, and Sinn Fein have negotiated themselves into a corner.

Sir Reg Empey, leader of the UUP, has also aired a devastating view of the current deadlock:

"I understand talks will be taking place between the DUP and SF to see if they can find a way forward," he said.

"I hope they succeed but I am not particularly optimistic and I fear if it does not succeed, there may not be an executive for the rest of this year."

The volatile financial market, the uncertainties over jobs, savings, mortgages and the general well being of all of the people should be the number one priority for the Stormont Executive. The devolution of Policing & Justice should be put on the long finger until such a time as it is conducive to good government. The DUP are also not coming out smelling of roses; back in July I had a look at what I believed the DUP needed to do:

The DUP will have to demonstrate meaningful and quantifiable results from devolution to persuade an electorate that they are competent in government.

That will be done if they can get a more business like mindset in dealing with OFM/DFM and providing value for money government; First Minister Robinsons' Castlereagh council skills may well come in handy.

At the minute the DUP fear the TUV more than the UUP. Again if the DUP can prove the benefits of devolution and vindicate their decision to go into government with Sinn Fein then it could well sound the death knell on the TUV.

Since I penned that the executive has failed to met and the relations between the DUP and Sinn Fein have hit, in terms of this government, an all time low. The St. Andrews Agreement was an improved Belfast Agreement in terms of dotting the i's and crossing the t's, but it has removed some things that acted as a safety net, specically that of a mechanism to suspend the Assembly. Devolution in its current form is failing Northern Ireland, and Sinn Fein are (yet again) the ones playing silly buggers.