Workers Solidarity Movement

Last December, after weeks of intensive talks the executive finally agreed upon the Stormont House Agreement, an Agreement that was primarily about economic reasons but needed to use the traditional technique of divide and conquer by throwing in sectarian issues such as flags and marches.

 

Despite the fact that Sinn Féin was the first party to sign the Agreement they pulled the plug on it just a matter of hours before it due to pass through the assembly. It was then made clear by the British establishment that if a decision was not made on the Agreement, specifically Welfare "Reform", Stormont would be no more.

 

Stormont was then allowed to hobble on until after the general election when the Tories had consolidated their power even further.

 

In the middle of June Cameron warned us that the situation was "serious" followed by Robinson declaring that if there is no agreement on an "austerity" budget that Stormont would have no future; it would collapse and we would go back to Direct Rule from Westminster.

 

Talks continued, but in true Fawlty Towers' style, no progress was made.

 

In July the Project Eagle scandal was brought to light and allegations were rife that Robinson stood to make £7m off the sale of Nama's northern portfolio.

 

Just as the heat was on Robinson the murder of Kevin McGuigan happened which sparked the UUP's only member of the executive Mike Nesbitt to resign from it and all but one of the DUP's ministers "stepped aside".

 

Yet again the collapse of Stormont was threatened.

 

A report revealed yesterday confirmed what we all already knew; the IRA still exists. The report stated that its Army Council is the main decision maker for both the IRA and Sinn Féin - something that the Shinners are naturally denying.

 

Talks began today on how to move forward after the report's findings. Mike Nesbitt has today claimed that he tried to bring up the ruling Army Council three times and each time they were ignored.

 

Nesbitt then declared that the session was like a Fawlty Towers episode, but let's be fair, even Fawlty Towers was better run than Stormont!

 

So, are Stormont's politicians looking any excuse to close up shop?

 

Ignore the sectarian circus - let's organise for real change.

 

WORDS: Fionnghuala Nic Roibeaird