Sir Jeff the political genius?

 And so we stumble from the darkness of DUP boycott to the shining light on the hill. Jeffrey has held the feet of the UK and the EU to the fire, and Finchley is only half as British as NEI. Happy days ahead.

But wait.  Didn’t Jamie Bryson reduce to farce Jeffrey’s brave and convincing stand before the DUP Exrcutive? And didn’t the same man insist that Jeffrey, far from holding feet to the fire has been massaging and accepting the UK+EU feet,  has sold out to UK-EU pressure?

There are so many possibilities raised by the deal arrived at, it’s hard to know where to start.Maybe with a reminder that once more, the dictum has again been fulfilled that when unionism kicks over the table and stalks off in a high dudgeon, it inevitably comes back weaker. There was never much brotherly or sisterly love within the ranks of the DUP; at this point it is poisonous. How will that affect politics here? Well, there might be anti-DUP candidates running in the next election here, which would further weaken the DUP. There might even be moves from the DUP to the TUV, although that’s less likely. Jim Allister would probably resent anyone muscling in on his wee party.

Mary Lou McDonald says that the re-establishment of Stormont means that a united Ireland “is within touching distance”. Alex Kane says Irish unity won’t happen in his life time.  They can’t both be right, except Mary Lou has very long arms or Alex Kane is likely to be seized by a fatal fever.

Will things now work in NEI? A grand wee country again? Ah no. Sorry. The history of this dysfunctional unit, regularly collapsing and destined to do so again, means that a prospering and acceptable NEI will be gladly embraced by all its residents? Forget it.  This, from so many angles, is a failed state. It’s just that we’re waiting for its next failure. Already it’s within touching distance.