Opinion

Options running out over welfare reform crisis

We are in yet another political mess with no clear sense as to how the latest crisis over welfare reform will be finally resolved.

It is the usual Stormont stalemate with plenty of confusion, uncertainty and gloomy predictions and an absence of understanding, co-operation and spirit of compromise.

Once the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the Green Party signed a petition of concern blocking the welfare reform bill on Tuesday night, we moved - in Sammy Wilson's phrase - into ``uncharted waters''.

In some ways the focus has now shifted from the DUP and Sinn Fein to the British government and Sinn Fein.

Secretary of State Theresa Villiers said yesterday she could not rule out bypassing the devolved administration and taking control of welfare reform but said this was a move she was reluctant to consider.

However, by even opening the door to this possibility, the government is increasing pressure on Sinn Fein.

For his part, deputy first minister Martin McGuinness firmly rejected this option which he said would be a ``huge mistake.''

The difficulty for Sinn Fein is that it had already agreed to a reform package before backing out of the Stormont House deal. A further problem is the Westminster election result which has provided the Conservatives with an overall majority.

The question now is what happens next, particularly in terms of the Northern Ireland budget, the public sector redundancy scheme, corporation tax and an independent Historical Investigations Unit.

Despite the failure to pass the welfare reform bill, the government included a pledge to ``take forward'' the Stormont House Agreement in the Queen's speech yesterday.

Quite how this will be achieved without some arrangement over welfare reform remains to be seen.

Of course, it is the responsibility of all elected representatives to safeguard the interests of the most vulnerable in our society.

However, with the number of options running out, it is far from clear how this will be achieved within the framework of the devolved structures.