Belt up, Sammy

In a move which is not going to endear the DUP's Sammy Wilson to our Southern neighbours, particularly those in Meath, the East Antrim MP is moaning about the possibility of his beloved UK government doing away with free school transport if buses have to be fitted with seatbelts.

But they save kids' lives, Sammy! Or doesn't that matter?

If he doesn't trust the British government, why doesn't his party get off the pot and form a devolved government together with other people who probably do care about kids' lives. I've long said that the best people to govern Ulster are the people of Ulster, not a bunch of Westminster prancers who think civilisation ends at Watford.

But devolution calls for Big leaders. How long are we going to have to put up with small-minded, fearful, single-issue politicians? You see, Sammy Wilson and his party have been going on about how Ulster is Bradish, how Éire is evil, how Catholics can't be trusted and how Protestants have been sold down the river - for so long that they're clueless on the real issues everybody cares about.

Worse than that, they've entirely lost the big picture: the good of the people of Ulster. If Sammy Wilson was capable of showing the leadership his people desperately need, he'd be fitting those seat belts pronto and working hard with his fellow-countrymen to make this a better, safer place to live. But he's not. He's a slave to 17th century politics and the DUP's narrow-minded, dependency culture.