I don’t know about you, but I breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that the Windsor Framework will allow the importation of British sausages; I mean, it’s not as if we’ve any sausages of our own. Better still, potatoes from the big island are no longer banned and sure I haven’t seen a potato since the dreaded Protocol.
I’m not sure who said it, but I’ll take an educated guess it was an exasperated Englishman who quipped: “Just when you find an answer to the Irish question, the Irish change the question." This week’s machinations around the interminable issues surrounding the NI Protocol proves that point.
With the new deal still warm off the printer, Ian Paisley (forever Junior) sprinted out of the blocks to announce he’d a gut feeling it didn’t cut the mustard. Ian was forced to rely on his gut instinct as he couldn’t have read the full agreement, but why let details like that get in the way of attempting a poor imitation of Ian Senior’s, “Never, never, never, never...”
Jim Allister this time only managed second place with a well-rehearsed pompous denunciation which echoed around an empty Assembly building. No doubt Jim had an eye on the upcoming council elections in May.
By strong-arming King Charles into the negotiations, Rishi Sunak exhibited a deft appreciation of local politics as, in doing so, he blocked an often-used backstop of the DUP. In previous spats with the UK government, such as the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, protesting unionists switched from calling themselves unionists to loyalists. Impossible this time, as images were shared of King Charles shaking hands with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, much to the anger of Sammy Wilson who predicted the king would regret his intervention. Sammy’s admonition will no doubt leave Charles quaking in his designer shoes.
The PM’s deft touch disappeared, however, on a flying visit to our shores, where he did a very poor imitation of a second-hand car salesman informing ‘us guys’ that we’d never had it so good by being uniquely able to trade both within the UK and EU.
I could almost hear the DUP rank and file rise in a cry of “We’ll not sell our birthright at any price’. No doubt such favouritism will result in sullen anger among the citizens of Scotland, Wales and the English shires.
Back in the Commons, the PM struck a Churchillian tone claiming he’d singlehandedly saved Brexit through tough negotiations with the EU. He conveniently ignored that this was only possible because the EU once again allowed amendments to Boris Johnson’s ‘oven ready deal’. Frustration has peaked in Strasbourg at the lax attitude of successive UK prime ministers to binding international agreements.
Irrespective of negotiations, pronouncements and hype, one glaring fly remains in the ointment, namely the DUP. And with both Paisley’s and Wilson’s prompt rejection of the Windsor Framework, it seems Sunak may be facing the impossible feat of negotiations with a divided party. Complicating things further, the DUP remain enthralled to the whims of Jamie Bryson, whose initial response wasn’t encouraging.
Taking an overview, it seems clear we have entered a process of reunification via a thousand agreements ending in disagreements. Irrespective of the vehemency of unionist opposition following each deal, their position has been diminished and therefore their connection to the UK diluted.
Seemingly unwilling to appreciate the level of disinterest among residents of the big island to their predicament, they habitually lash out at a British government to which they also swear undying allegiance, further undermining their position.
Unionism's solitary lifeboat has always been the NI Assembly, something they now seem intent on sinking. I wonder what tune the band will play on the day that ship sinks into a sea of emerald green.
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As the pantomime of lapsed local politics continues, life and death issues remain, one of which being mounting overdose deaths due to illegal drug consumption.
I have advocated safe consumption rooms – now called overdose prevention centres (OPCs) – in this column in February 2020 and July 2022. With 350 drug related deaths in Belfast alone between 2017 and 2021, their adoption is essential to save lives.
I therefore applaud Belfast City Councillor Mal O’Hara who raised the issue on Wednesday and was heartened to hear his motion had been voted through by the full council. To the critics who wrongly claim OPCs will lead to more addiction, I repeat: rehabilitation is only possible when you have a living addict to work on.
