Reform of Stormont is opposed by Sinn Féin and the DUP, yet neither has a leg to stand on
“In the absence of an executive, the spirit of the [Belfast] Agreement must be facilitated by enhanced co-operation between the British and Irish governments.”
Reform would comply with the letter and spirit of the Belfast Agreement, which stipulates regular and ongoing reviews of its institutions. The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference has scope to oversee reform, provided it does not “override” the agreement’s “democratic mechanisms”. This is where Dublin’s influence is meant to apply.
There ought to be sympathy within the SDLP. Its former leader, Mark Durkan, famously called for reform in 2008, describing it as removing Stormont’s “ugly scaffolding”.and the DUP, yet neither has a leg to stand on. Both have recently collapsed Stormont, the DUP demanded an end to mandatory Coalition until it ceased to be the largest party and Sinn Féin looks ridiculous defending the DUP’s veto.
With the SDLP at 6 per cent in the polls, there may be a concern nationalism no longer has even a hypothetical alternative to Sinn Féin. However, there seems to be a more basic reluctance by the Government and the SDLP to support something the republican party is against. This is touching solidarity, given Sinn Féin’s ruthlessness in supplanting its nationalist rivals.
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