As Boris Johnson awaits his day of reckoning, the Northern Ireland Executive is dropping Covid restrictions quicker than a Didier Drogba dive.
One thing is for sure, like Didier, they are consistent.
Whether it was the Sinn Féin leadership dancing on the head of a pin to insultingly argue that a mass funeral for one of their own was okay for them but not for others; or the DUP senior team tolerating tin heads within their own ranks who were openly flaunting and mocking public health measures, the two mainstream parties have been playing to their own rules and not in the wider public interest.
Their sense of entitlement to bend the rules when it suited was no less than that of Boris Johnson. Though they excelled more in grandstanding than grandiosity.
Not that the other parties have covered themselves in much glory either.
The lack of legal enforcement throughout the pandemic made much of the process seem a pitiful sham. No one seemed to want to take responsibility for actually upholding the law.
At times, the justice and infrastructure departments were made to look foolish for what seemed like half-hearted measures and a Teflon approach to owning the regulations. It’s ludicrous that we are able to regulate smoking on public transport but not to ensure the wearing of a mask during a pandemic.
Everything was dumped on the back of health minister Robin Swann and even when push came to shove at the executive table, he had to plead his case, like Oliver Twist up before Mr Bumble.
The PSNI leadership was cack-handed during the pandemic.
The chief constable did not seem to be in control and lower ranks were left to interpret public health enforcement as they saw fit. Little wonder some of those judgment calls were nothing short of calamitous. Not to say embarrassing and injurious to the reputation of the police service.
It will be interesting to see where the PSNI find resources to police the new in-car no smoking regulations when they appeared unable to spot a law-breaking crowd.
Soon the electorate will get a chance to give their verdict on the performance of the local parties in government.
Whilst for the most part, the election will be conducted on the usual tribal basis, we can but live in hope that delivery in office will account for something.
Sinn Féin will try to seduce the nationalist electorate into elevating them to being top dog in the wholly honorific post of first minister. (And this is despite everyone knowing both the first and deputy first are completely joint and equal in terms of power).
The DUP will attempt to raise the political temperature by scaremongering worried unionists that the Union is in peril if Sinn Féin get to swap office desks with the DUP at Stormont. It’s all a bit of overplayed Punch and Judy.
But unfortunately such baseline appeals work. The NI Protocol, however, won’t electrify the election.
The Alliance party fares well due to its popular leader and messaging arguing for a third way.
Three parties will fight the forthcoming elections with fairly simplistic messaging. Vote for us to keep the other side out or for none of the above.
This means there won’t be much airtime for discussions about the quality or scrutiny of our system of government which is basically the focus of the SDLP and Ulster Unionists.
They both have a more complicated (albeit more relevant) message about providing good government whether from within the executive or outside it. The so-called Beattie bounce will have to start bumping Tigger-like into both the DUP and Alliance support. It’s a tall order.
Despite a talented front bench team, Eastwood and the SDLP will hope that powerful media performances will make up for organisational deficiencies.
But elections are like waves. To succeed, you must to ride them or go under.
