We can’t keep circling like this.
By: Jamie Pow
Tags: James Brokenshire, Northern Ireland Assembly, Sinn Féin, Stormont, Dup

This morning Alex Kane vented his frustration with the Secretary of State and Northern Ireland’s political parties with his signature sense of humour.

“James Brokenshire narrows down the next deadline to a choice between the 12th of Never and a day when there isn’t a DFS sale,” he tweeted.

After six months without a government and two polarising elections, at least someone is still able to make light of the ongoing stalemate and make us laugh — because there seems so little to smile about.

We’re in a seemingly endless holding pattern, without a clear destination. But we can’t keep circling like this. Just as an aircraft can only fly as far and as long as its fuel tank allows, Northern Ireland’s political system cannot continue to drift without consequence.

The public’s confidence in elected politicians wasn’t in the healthiest state before the current crisis. Voters’ patience is now being tested to the limits. And yet all these months on, the fundamental problem remains exactly the same: neither the DUP nor Sinn Féin trust each other.

Each party claims that the other doesn’t respect it. The blame game for the failure to reach a deal started long ago. That’s no way to form a government, let alone bestow any confidence in the way a future one would function.

At the weekend Simon Hamilton warned Sinn Féin that it can’t expect the DUP to accept a “12–0” win for its republican rival. He called on Sinn Féin to make concessions. Sinn Féin, meanwhile, claims the DUP has yet to move an inch on pertinent issues like an Irish Language Act.

In the absence of mutual trust and respect, we’re left with both sides clinging to their own bargaining positions. Sinn Féin remains energised after its performance in the March Assembly election; the DUP has been buoyed by a strong performance in the Westminster election and subsequent influence over Theresa May’s minority government.

Strategically speaking, would it really be in either party’s interests to do a deal? Probably not. Neither has much of an incentive to compromise.

And therein lies the overarching problem. We have yet to see evidence that either of Northern Ireland’s two biggest parties are putting the common interest of the people of Northern Ireland ahead of their own party strategic interests.

Let’s not be naïve — this is how most democracies tend to function. But in Northern Ireland, we have a deeply divided society and, as both parties are well aware, they must share power if there is to be any government at all. This requires a unique commitment to some sense of a shared, common interest if it is to work.

A LucidTalk poll covered by Northern Slant last week found that a decisive majority of people here still want to see power-sharing restored (you can catch James McMordie’s article in full here).

If most people in Northern Ireland want the main political parties to find common ground in their shared interest, will Sinn Féin and the DUP find a way to give the people what they want?

That’s still very much an open question.

In the absence of so few strategic incentives for the two parties to compromise, the role of the British and Irish governments could be crucial.

That’s why the Secretary of State’s statements have so far been so disappointing. He clearly wants to be careful not to overstep his mark, but his caution just looks feeble.

If there continues to be no movement in the talks over the coming days, then he has a responsibility to alter those incentives and spell out the consequences.

What do you think the Secretary of State should do next? We’re keen to hear from you — please leave your comments below.