I am on the liberal left of politics, and you would think that a party underpinned by social democratic values would have my vote – but no. A party under the brave, visionary leadership of Hume, Mallon and Durkan delivered the Belfast Agreement, topped the polls in 1998 and quite rightly deserved to bask in the glory of their achievement.
Today the Sad Democratic and Lacklustre Party languish at the bottom, with eight MLAs, no executive ministries and a recent survey showing electoral support at 7 per cent.
All of this is a consequence of the failure to navigate the post-2007 political landscape. The question to Colm Eastwood is, if “it’s not dead” it’s on a political ventilator – the next step being DNR.
Reasons not to be cheerful: one, this town isn’t big enough for the both of us – that is two green parties. The reality is that Sinn Féin owns the green wall and a light green alternative, to coin the phrase, “doesn’t cut the mustard”. Two, the post-Hume, Mallon and Durkan leadership has at best been mediocre. I attended an SDLP conference where Margaret Ritchie said that unification was the SDLP’s number one priority, not the underlying principles of social democracy. Three, if Colm thinks that his New Ireland Commission is the route to a political resurrection, he is sadly mistaken. No-one, and I mean no-one, has provided a vision let alone the mechanics, laid out the complexities or a plan for this new Ireland. Four, they talk about rights, but as a party, they don’t have the political bravery to believe in a woman’s right to choose or a secular education system. Five, they supported an education review panel that does not include an entrepreneur/tech entrepreneur, the very people who will create the jobs of the future. Six, they support an apartheid school infrastructure that costs an additional £80m per annum. Seven, they support a broad curriculum: what does that entail and do they really understand the role of education in an interconnected world? Eight, they believe that the quality of our teacher education is strong – you better check out the EU’s 2021 Teachers in Europe Report. Nine, they supported the largesse of the £100 post-Covid giveaway costing some £150m, when the very same SDLP MLAs clapped every Thursday for the £9-an-hour key workers. Ten, more fiscal powers and Corbyness largess, seriously.
It’s time to expand its voter base from the traditional, conservative, middle-class, church-going Catholics to a generation of younger, socially liberal, that is economically mobile and who require a deliverable politically progressive agenda. Wind back talking about a New Ireland, rather a different Northern Ireland or North of Ireland, underpinned by social democratic values of democracy and civic education, rights, duties and social cohesion. It’s time to extend your voter appeal or die.
SUNSEIL SHARMA
Belfast BT8
Lunatics must be stopped running the asylum
Well, it has its funny side. The offspring in pursuit of ever-closer union with the parent is progressively estranging that very parent. The overwhelming cross-party backing for the Windsor deal should warn the DUP that they are on a hiding to nothing.
Their ERG Westminster friends are a powerless fringe and its perfidious premier a busted flush.
All sides say the renegotiated protocol is a done deal – no reworks possible. The Northern Ireland business community say it’s fine and all other Stormont parties agree, though the mutterings of the UUP do need interpreting.
Trouble is Donaldson is a weak face card.
It is said that he personally would accept Windsor but fears to do so for the sake of his position and to stop party splits – but that’s not leadership. It shows he is not up to the job.
Hopefully the saner elements of the unionist community outside of the DUP will say “enough is enough” and make their voice in the forthcoming elections decisively evident, letting it be known that silly posturing is not only undermining the ‘precious union’ but blocking the resolution of urgent policy issues.
Major institutional change is overdue. The time is now to get rid of vetoes and one-party induced stalemates. The GFA needs either scrapped or a drastic overhaul. The lunatics must be stopped running the asylum.
TERRY McNEILL
Cushendun, Co Antrim
Reform of Assembly
The Alliance Party proposes that if one of the Executive Office parties defaults, then the place should go to the next largest party – currently themselves. I do not think that an administration that excludes the largest unionist or nationalist party would survive.
Here is an alternative. If one of the designated Executive Office parties defaults, leave an empty chair for it, and proceed with the D’Hondt process to fill all seats on the Executive, accepting nominations from those parties which wish to put them forward. If necessary, elect a speaker for this process by qualified majority rather than by the current rule, with a 24-hour sunset clause if no Executive is elected. The party which owns the empty chair can claim it at any time, and cause a re-run of D’Hondt to elect a fresh Executive.
This should allow for a functioning Executive, while not removing the legitimate place created by the Good Friday Agreement for the leading parties of unionism and nationalism.
DECLAN O’LOAN
Ballymena, Co Antrim
Spoiling for a fight
Anyone watching Channel 4 News recently will see the good old USA prodding, poking, provoking nuclear-armed North Korea. They are spoiling for a fight. When North Korea understandably retaliates as Russia did when Britain, US and Nato toppled the democratically elected Ukraine government and installed a puppet one to do their bidding, they will now blame North Korea for starting the next war.
People need to know what is coming down the line.
PETER McEVOY
Banbridge, Co Down
Serenity prayer wasted on DUP
Tom Kelly – ‘Grant the DUP some serenity’ (March 27) – ends his piece by saying: “Grant them the serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things they can and the wisdom to know the difference…”
I don’t think they will follow St Francis of Assisi, as I believe they are following those two great philosophers Calvin and Hobbes, whose prayer is: “Grant me the strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can’t and the incapacity to tell the difference.”
TONY CARROLL
Newry, Co Down
