Straight talker

I see the former deputy leader of the Alliance party, Seamus Close, is to retire. On the two Governments' strategy to shoehorn the DUP and Sinn Féin into a coalition government he says using a "sticking plaster" won't work:

 

"Trimble and Mallon were decent guys and but they couldn't agree and that will be even worse with Sinn Fein and the DUP ... It's not sustainable and the people of Northern Ireland are going to once more be put through the mill. In my heart I know that this is not going to work - it's Alice in Wonderland politics - a lot of fudging to produce what?"

 

I agree ... to an extent. Blur and Ahern are definitely fudging, and I'm glad Mr Close has the courage to call a spade a spade. But I'm an optimist and I think it can work if SF commits to the authority of the NI police and justice systems and the DUP decides to become democratic.