The Irish Times continues with the worn out cliché describing the political situation in the northeast six counties as an intractable conflict between two tribes. This is the typical understanding in the Dublin media including RTE. They see the north as a place apart from the rest of Ireland -just like many unionists. I heard Ryan Tubridy on RTE the other day refer to a ‘Northern Irish man’. I would hardly refer to him as an ‘Eastern Irish man’- though if he persists, I will.
The Editorial in the Irish Times on 7 July 2017 titled ‘Tribal Politics Triumphs Again’ is yet another narrow and negative approach to the political impasse in the north which does not take account of political realities and the new momentum for change expressed in recent elections. I wrote a reply which they edited slightly and published in today’s edition. An example of their editing: I wrote ‘They have the support of Mrs May…’ The IT published ‘It have the support of Theresa May…’Below is the gist of what I wrote.
The focus of the Irish Times writer is on the failure of the parties-sorry, Tribes- to bring back the Executive and Assembly in Stormont. This is much too general and does not attempt to understand the reasons for the collapse of the Executive last January. By stating that both ‘tribes’, are equally to blame is a compete travesty of the truth. It does not accept the refusal of the DUP to implement agreements already made. You fail to deal with the Tory government’s undermining of the institutions and previous agreements by their shady deal with the DUP. That new alignment of the Tories and the DUP has taken the pressure of the DUP to deliver on previous commitments. They now have the support of Mrs May for their obdurate refusal to accept parity of esteem and the need for respect. That is what the focus should have been – on those in the DUP who are not committed to the process and to parity of esteem and on the British Tory government for their unashamed support for the hard-line ‘not-an-inch’ DUP approach.
Those in the Dublin media must place responsibility where it belongs, not on the old worn out shibboleth of ‘tribal politics’ as if the British had nothing to do with it. It is painfully obvious that that is where the blame for the impasse lies.
When will we get some semblance of honest and fair political analysis in the Irish Times? Probably never…
Joe, from a DUP point of view, they did not negotiate or sign the GFA and the contentious bits of Cill Rímhín were slipped in by Blair after they had signed the main document. What do you think of that?
The Dublin media never have and never will critize Britain when they can critize Irish Republicans instead!
Sad but also very true Mick Early
When did DUP agree to SSM or Irish Language Act?
Do you support Same Sex Marriage Joe?
As UK citizens we are entitled to all the goodies that Scotand and Wales get. What the DUP agree or don’t agree is by the way.