While the Ulster Unionist Party is by some distance the smaller of the two main unionist groups, the sheer exasperation behind the latest intervention from its leader, Doug Beattie, on the Stormont stalemate was telling.
An overwhelming majority of MLAs have already made it clear that the absence of a functioning devolved administration is causing massive harm to all sections of our divided society.
Mr Beattie, in a statement on Friday, passionately set out how the DUP's effective suspension of the power sharing institutions has also completely undermined the position of the minority of our citizens who still identify with the unionist tradition.
Given that the DUP is still attempting to claim that its stance is designed to protect the union, the compelling nature of the arguments put forward by Mr Beattie will be widely noted.
Read More: Stormont boycott pointless, says Doug Beattie
He explained in detail how the DUP's stance on the Windsor Framework has had no impact on the thinking of either the UK government or the European Union and declared: `boycotting Stormont may be popular for some but frustration leads to bad choices'.
Mr Beattie said even more bluntly; `Having the UK look over its shoulder as Northern Ireland becomes even more economically unstable is not helping the union and is not what unionism should be about.'
He may well have been referring to the much discussed recent YouGov opinion poll which indicated that most ordinary UK residents would prioritise retaining a link with what are officially referred to as the British overseas territories of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands ahead of keeping Northern Ireland within the union.
The survey firmly suggested that British voters would like to see Scotland and Wales stay within the union but would not be unduly distressed if, despite all the DUP’s loud protests, a real and permanent Irish Sea border really did emerge.
It should be acknowledged that most unionists still endorse the DUP’s highly unusual tactics but the bigger picture at Stormont before the unmistakable demographic trends take us into ever more inevitable territory should also be firmly registered.
The DUP's present policy, which contradicts its previous stance on the closely related protocol issue, is only specifically backed by its 25 MLAs plus the TUV's single representative, meaning that it has less than one third of the 90 member Assembly on its side.
If we temporarily set aside the constitutional debate, the democratic, economic and social case for agreeing with Mr Beattie that Stormont should return immediately is overwhelming.
