The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein have agreed to revive the Belfast assembly, which has been inactive for three years
NORTHERN IRELAND’S devolved government has been reborn. After many months of hard-fought negotiations, the biggest unionist and republican parties agreed on January 10th to go back into government together, creating a new element of hope in the often unforgiving politics of Belfast.
Both parties were chastened by their poor performances in the recent British general election, which saw voters deliver a punishing verdict on their performances of recent years. Sinn Fein won seven seats in Westminster, as it did in 2017, but its vote dropped sharply in several areas. The DUP lost two of its ten seats. Unusually for Northern Ireland, the moderates fared better than the extremists.
The most alarming development, from the DUP’s point of view, is that Northern Ireland’s union with Britain looks increasingly insecure. Mr Johnson’s withdrawal bill, which returned to Parliament on January 7th, draws a dotted line between the province and the rest of the country by providing for different customs arrangements in the two areas. The latest poll in Northern Ireland showed a tiny majority in favour of the reunification of Ireland.
As part of the deal the government has promised cash to deal with this, along with more money for education, including increased pay for teachers, and more police officers. The Irish government, which played a part in the negotiations, has meanwhile offered funds for infrastructure projects.
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