One of the things Pete Baker taught me early on in the life of Slugger was never to skip too far ahead of what you know you know. What we know about the riots is that they’re serious (the injury list of police officers tell us that), but small scale.
That does not mean to say it cannot get worse, or that I think the rioters should be pandered to. I don’t seriously believe that these youths are seriously concerned about trade arrangements between NI and GB, but the vacuum surrounding it is.
Nor am I saying that yesterday’s session was a waste of time (the justice minister told us the PSNI is having success against loyalist paramilitaries involved in crime). But there is a perception (not wholly wrong) that order is being partially applied.
Further, since Michel Barnier stepped down there is no public diplomatic face to the EU in terms of ameliorating arrangements to lessen the potential for supply lines from GB to collapse in a major way once the grace periods are up.
“Wait for the joint committee to announce the outcome” won’t close the space available for political mischief by those who would rather the whole democratic edifice of Northern Ireland slipped quietly under the waves of a unity referendum.
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