Is Drumcree the excuse they need to pull down Stormont?

I have been quiet lately as I find the current atmosphere even more depressing than usual. Drumcree was a particularly bleak time in our history and I, like most of us, had assumed the issue was put in a concrete box and dropped somewhere in the middle of Lough Neagh. That unionism is keen to bring back this utterly toxic issue is another example of how useless they are at any strategic thinking. As the old saying goes, “Unionism never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

There have been rumblings the past few months that our much-maligned local government is not long for this world. The DUP is in crisis due to Jeffrey Donaldson and other scandals. Sinn Féin is alleging that the DUP is being particularly belligerent on every issue possible with their battle-a-day strategy.

But Sinn Féin has been shockingly useless in government and their electorate is unhappy at their ability to deliver well just about anything. Casement Park, the A5, housing, NI Water reform etc. the list is endless. It’s not just that Stormont is ineffective.

It’s also that it is actively detrimental to the population of Northern Ireland. Lough Neagh is being deliberately poisoned by large industrial agriculture. Not only is Stormont doing nothing but they are actively defending the polluters and blocking any attempts to solve the problem.

The general vibe is that both parties are keen to find any justification to walk out of the assembly and Drumcree has come along at just the right time to give them the excuse they need. The simple truth is it’s easier to sham fight the cultural battles than it is to get on with the boring business of government and delivering for the people.

With a collapsed Stormont both sides can blame the other and rile up their base in anticipation of next year’s election. The media and radio shows have got the big story they need to attract readers and listeners. People love a good crisis here.

Some insiders are predicting that Stormont will be down by Christmas. The question many of us will be asking is, will we even notice such is the ineffectiveness of the place?

When it all comes down to it, both sides just don’t like each other. They also do not have the will, aptitude, or experience to tackle our big problems so it’s easier just to fall back on the comfort of protest politics and blaming the other side.

Will the electorate punish such incompetence? Of course they won’t as every election in Northern Ireland is a sectarian headcount so they will all still get their vote next year.

Depressing stuff.

Brian O'Neill

Managing Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism; I am not a member of any political party. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.