Opinion

Fionnuala O Connor: It's a not such a wonderful life up at Stormont

The scene at Stormont ahead of Arlene Foster's RHI statement when all non-DUP MLAs left the chamber in protest, except for Claire Sugden and Jim Allister
The scene at Stormont ahead of Arlene Foster's RHI statement when all non-DUP MLAs left the chamber in protest, except for Claire Sugden and Jim Allister The scene at Stormont ahead of Arlene Foster's RHI statement when all non-DUP MLAs left the chamber in protest, except for Claire Sugden and Jim Allister

DONALD Trump is American president-elect. At the beginning of 2016 or was it the end of 2015 this space ran the fearful prediction of Trump and Boris hitting the heights.

At least Boris didn’t make the top spot. Let us end the year with a small cheer, and a sense of proportion.

We’re not Aleppo, nor even Berlin. Ours here is a first world problem, if with seventeenth century foundations that seep upwards.

So in the spirit of Christmas, spare a thought for the struggling political class.

They and therefore we, the society they represent, face into a new year with a monkey on their collective back, the scandal of the DUP-sponsored heating scheme clamped round their shoulders.

DUP leader Arlene Foster has damaged her own authority inside her party and her image in the wider population.

Sinn Féin’s senior northern figure Martin McGuinness is also damaged, perhaps unfairly and with direct effect on his health.

Gerry Adams has had yet another bad couple of weeks, his repeated comments on McGuinness’s health making it harder not easier for his old comrade. What’s that about?

In a speech to Derry party members Adams is reported as saying his colleague’s condition, which McGuinness declines to reveal, made “even more problematical at this time” efforts “to ensure the stability of the political institutions”.

Since Adams thinks that, as president of the party and a long time comrade, out of comradeliness and for the political good has he urged McGuinness to take time out as Foster is urged to do, or consider speedy retirement? And if not, why not?

Behind the usual defiant front republicans faithful to the Adams-McGuinness team are edgy and demoralised, some straightforwardly sad at their two figureheads having reached a state – with shocking speed in McGuinness’s case - where they should tell each other to retire if nobody else has the nerve to.

Tough that in the north able successors are scarce. McGuinness has served a harsh last sentence. He more than deserves time off for good behaviour.

People last week looked at what was happening in Stormont because earlier broadcast interviews whetted the appetite. McGuinness had given Foster an ultimatum.

What else could a warning about ‘grave consequences’ mean except that Sinn Féin would walk out? Unless, unless...later a decisive deputy first minister faded from view.

Foster’s plan to reduce the cost of money-burning had not been announced to the assembly, said McGuinness, so her speech made without his support hadn’t included any impermissible ‘action’.

A comeback for early peace process hair-splitting, or just an over-fancy argument weakly delivered? Foster should step aside for a month or so and there must be an independent inquiry; later that became Foster should ‘reflect’. An ultimatum turned into whatever you’re having yourself.

The shambles of an assembly sitting – ‘shambles’ this time the perfect McGuinness term – to judge from general conversations distressed and angered more than a few, nationalist, unionist and beyond.

That flinty Foster speech-reading, the DUP phalanxes with changing personnel stomping alongside her so the biggest number could be seen showing loyalty, that repeated shot of her welcomed in the Great Hall by a beaming gent, her fighting face now split by a smile, leader among adoring people.

This looked horribly like the end of term play. Never mind a panto, here’s ‘our wee country’ playing North Korea. But unionists of several stripes cannot love this stuff.

The DUP, as cooler minds have noted, has appealed down the decades to economic conservatives as well as fundamentalist Protestants. Arlene, Peter Robinson until his own sad last act, the new generation Simon Hamilton who now has to clean the place up, the party boasted an image of efficiency and clinical management. It would appear that this is undeserved.

There has been sniffing that nationalists in general and republicans in particular love their airy-fairy visions, and are welcome to them.

Unionists are good at sums, details, minding the spending, checking the bottom-line.

But now look. Man-made global warming is rubbish, that’s been one of the anti-visions. Lining pockets in the name of saving the environment?

Surely only the brassiest could profit, conscience-free, from a project inspired by a belief most DUPpers reject with contempt.

That McGuinness flicker of early peace processing lingo recalls the ceasefires/ cessations season, when republicans and British players pirouetted about demanding ‘clarifications’.

Ah me; when Martin and Gerry (and the present writer) were only middle-aged, and Arlene a baby lawyer. I wonder is It’s a Wonderful Life on a channel I can find.