Though the elections have been given an initial green light, David Trimble will be petitioning Downing Street for a postponement should there be no decommissioning of the IRA.
There is also some evidence that he his pushing at a half open door. Thomas Harding in the Daily Telegraph:
“There are all sorts of deadlines being put out,” said a Westminster source. But the truth is none of them is critical. If there is a chance of getting a deal we would go for it and fix the mechanisms later. The question is not when there is an election but at what point do we get an answer to the final question on IRA activities.”
Government sources have also indicated that without a deal it would be “pointless” to allow elections to proceed for the Northern Ireland Assembly which has been in suspension since allegations of IRA espionage last October.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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