IT is disturbing that Northern Ireland has been given an ultimatum by James Brokenshire that the province is verging on direct rule from Whitehall (“Ultimatum set for Stormont consensus”, The Herald, April 13).
On the face of it, that seems like a reasonable solution, but given the history of the place, it can only exacerbate an already perilous situation.
The Conservative Government has only a tenuous majority and the temptation will be to harness the “Ulster” Unionist/Loyalist MPs to its “British” Unionist cause, and that will have a cost in trust from the minority population in Norethern Ireland who already accuse Mr Brokenshire of partisan collusion.
Once Stormont is dissolved by London, how easy will it be to resume local control, and if the primacy of the ballot box is lost in Northern Ireland, what then?
It is a great pity that Northern Ireland cannot by governed, in the interim, from a neutral authority which has no dog in the fight. Brussels would be my choice.
GR Weir,
17 Mill Street,
Ochiltree.
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