Stormont future depends on Drumcree outcome

Politics in Northern Ireland is often accused of going nowhere fast but right now it more resembles a time warp taking us back three decades.

Divisions that had been dormant over Drumcree flowed angrily again between the parties over the weekend, spilling over into Monday when MLAs returned to the chamber.

Less than 24 hours after the secretary of state called on Stormont’s leaders to “double down on compromise”, what unfolded in the assembly was all double down, no compromise.

Tempers and emotions flared – despite a warning from the Speaker, Edwin Poots, to mind their manners – amid shouting across the packed benches.

Stormont is known for its theatrics but was what unfolded simply more performative politics or the warm-up for a dramatic act over devolution’s future?

Soon after, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Gavin Robinson appeared to provide the answer as he gave a press conference on his party’s next steps.

He’d already warned that power sharing was in “difficult territory”, as he hit out at First Minister Michelle O’Neill and other Sinn Féin politicians for taking part in the Garvaghy Road protest, and called for them to face prosecution.

While saying then that it could not be “business as usual” at Stormont any more, the DUP leader went on to say he was not prepared to be reckless.

From that we can take it to mean power sharing is going to carry on, for now.