Politics

Doug Beattie: Return to factory settings of Agreement

The Irish News has asked each of the main Stormont parties how they would make devolved government more stable. Today, Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie argues that it is changes to the Good Friday Agreement that have weakened the institutions

UUP leader Doug Beattie. Picture by Mark Marlow/PA Wire
UUP leader Doug Beattie. Picture by Mark Marlow/PA Wire UUP leader Doug Beattie. Picture by Mark Marlow/PA Wire

THE Belfast Agreement managed to strike a balance that had previously proved elusive. It created institutions that allowed both of the main communities here to have a hand on the steering wheel.

I would argue that it has been many of the fundamental changes that have been made to the Agreement in the years since that have served to weaken those institutions and undermined the original vision of truly sharing power.

Of course, the vandalism that has been caused has been facilitated by both the Irish and UK Governments as they have bent over backwards to placate the DUP and Sinn Féin since 2003.

The Belfast Agreement has a review mechanism, this is correct. But to simply take a hammer to further parts of the Agreement is unlikely to fix the problem.

It cannot continue to be the case that a dice is rolled on some new big idea in a hope it might make the institutions more resilient.

It is important to remember that we are in the current scenario due to a mechanism put in place by both governments in ‘New Decade, New Approach’, which was supposed to improve the sustainability of the institutions.

For the Ulster Unionist Party, the fix lies in returning to the factory settings of the Belfast Agreement.

As we approach the 25th anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement it will be important to look back and remind ourselves of the principles on which power-sharing was established.

To move forward, we might find that staying true to those principles will be key. Sharing power, and responsibility.

There is a toxic atmosphere and lack of trust that pervades politics here – something that is the antithesis of what the institutions were set up to bring about.

Returning to the First Minister coming from the largest designation, with joint election of First and deputy First Ministers, would remove the charade we see every election time.

It would also strengthen the symbolism of two parties governing jointly, rather than the pantomime tussle that has characterised much of the last number of mandates.

In the 25 years since the signing of the Belfast Agreement it is not untrue to say that its potential to bring stability to politics here has not been able to be realised due to the tinkering that has taken place in the years since.

Stability in politics here will always require hard work and commitment, given our journey to get to this point.

But the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement offered a support that has been whittled away and we would do ourselves a favour in restoring.