Chris Donnelly has noted how the First Minister/Deputy First Minister titles were fine and dandy until the First Minister-in-waiting turned out to be a republican, at which point a Westminster committee hastily urged joint First Ministers. If I recall correctly, Martin McGuinness argued for that change and the DUP wouldn’t hear of it. Do they seriously think that nationalists, when it’s their turn, should agree to a title change?
It’s the old story: the need to have a class of people – even a majority within the stateen – who are second-class citizens. As Chris pointed out in a Raidio Uladh interview, November commemorations are fine, Easter commemorations are disgraceful.
The sad fact is that unionism is heading towards the plug-hole. As they come closer and closer, they’ll yell all sorts of reasons why this shouldn’t be happening. Again, Chris D is a model of moderation – he suggests the Assembly be reconstituted, Michelle O’Neill sit her full term as First Minister, and having made clear that sauce for the goose is sauce for the taig, the matter could be looked at again and maybe a Joint First Minister scheme could then be arrived at. But not before unionists are willing to show they believe in true equality. (A complicating factor might be that a reunited Ireland may be well under way before unionism reaches that point.)
I detect an impatience among nationalists similar to the impatience before Martin McGuinness brought down Stormont because Arlene Foster refused to step aside even for a few weeks while the RHI scandal whirled around her. There was a collective sigh of relief among nationalists and republicans, and when they next went to the polls, they showed their feelings.
Sir Jeff, Sammy, Ian Óg – stop digging, for your own sake if not for ours.
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