Opinion

There’s no plan to deal with the mess the DUP has created - Brian Feeney

Brian Feeney

Brian Feeney

Historian and political commentator Brian Feeney has been a columnist with The Irish News for three decades. He is a former SDLP councillor in Belfast and co-author of the award-winning book Lost Lives

King Charles III delivered his first speech as monarch at the state opening of parliament this week, setting out the government's legislative priorities
King Charles III delivered his first speech as monarch at the state opening of parliament this week, setting out the government's legislative priorities
By Brian Feeney

IT WAS truly pitiful listening to Jeffrey Donaldson and BBC NI trying to suggest that the promise in the king’s speech to “promote the integrity of the union” had something to do with ending the DUP’s union-damaging boycott. At least UTV gave Donaldson a sceptical grilling, pointing out there was no mention of the north which the DUP had dearly hoped for.

Look, when the British prime minister talks about the union in his programme for government speech for the king, he means the union of England and Scotland. That’s what 99% of English politicians and English people think of when ‘the union’ is mentioned. Only unionists here, and it appears BBC NI, would assume it’s a reference to this place.

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The real message, which you can bet the SNP received loud and clear, was that Westminster will continue to block any attempt to have a second Scottish independence referendum or even diverge in any way from Westminster legislation. That’s what was meant by the integrity of the UK – not, as Donaldson tried to spin it, anything to do with returning trade GB-NI to the position pre-protocol.

No, the simple fact is there was no mention of the north in the king’s speech because there’s no plan to deal with the mess the DUP has created.

What a mess it is for the DUP. As the inimitable Sam McBride pointed out, Donaldson is a rare example of “a political leader disappointed at seeing their party’s support increase” in the latest poll. Upgrade that rare to unique.

The poll shows that DUP voters have believed the nonsense Donaldson has been peddling that boycotting Stormont can make the protocol go away. Most unfortunate, because it’s clear Donaldson himself no longer believes it and is anxious to return to do what he was elected to do. He can’t because neither his party hardliners nor his voters will let him.

It's also the case that even if there’d been a promise of legislation in the king’s speech, as senior DUP figures were suggesting for months, the DUP still wouldn’t have called off their boycott until any promise was made good in law. They’ve had enough of this British government’s promises.

Forlornly, Donaldson still clings to the hope of legislation, telling UTV “the government doesn’t list all the legislation [in the king’s speech] it’s about to introduce”.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told UTV “the government doesn’t list all the legislation [in the king’s speech] it’s about to introduce”
DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told UTV “the government doesn’t list all the legislation [in the king’s speech] it’s about to introduce”

At this rate it looks as though we’re waiting for the British general election, most likely next October. If so, hope of any movement then is misplaced.

Labour, which is still expected to win despite Starmer’s serious internal party problems for condoning continuation of Israeli savagery, has been silent on the stand-off here. As you’ve read here before, the north is not on Starmer’s ‘to do’ list. Starmer appointed the new shadow proconsul (bet you can’t even name him) because he’s not the kind of guy to take any initiative, let alone do a solo run. No, he won’t rock the boat.

Both Labour and Conservatives are now entering full election mode. The north’s travails will play no part in that because of the simple fact that there are no votes here.

As Charlie Haughey used to ask when pressed to commit to something, “What’s the percentage?” In this case zero. The north can stew in its own juice. As far as the English electorate is concerned, if asked, many of them might speculate that ‘The Protocol’ is maybe the first favourite at Aintree tomorrow for all they care.

As for the likelihood of any movement before the general election, our current proconsul, who has shown no evidence that he’s up to the job, might learn from history if he knows any.

All experience in the last 50 years shows that progress only comes when the Irish and British governments, together with all parties in the north, sit around a table to hammer out a deal.