With the hysteria around the General Election results one would think that the country was going into meltdown. And all because of what is not so much a hung parliament as a parliament hanging by a thread!
With the DUP described by Prime Minister Theresa May as “friends and allies” one wonders what is going through the DUP leadership's minds right now. Part of it must be a sense of jubilation – what they can achieve, what deals they can strike, and how much cash they can extract for farmers and infrastructure.
However, once the weekend ends one wonders if they will be forced to re-consider how much of a steal it is. The 10 victorious DUP MPs will almost certainly be stuck in Westminster more than they have ever previously been.
For, no matter what deal they agree, the price will be votes, committee meetings and ‘big’ ticket issues that the Conservatives will require them to be present for. Fair enough to turn up once in a while for PMs Questions, the budget and NI Questions - but Foreign Affairs, Home Office discussions, austerity debates, English only issues etc.? No thanks.
All that’s going to be a lot of hard work. They’ll not fall under the Tory whip, but one can predict that they’ll be required to traipse over to the Conservative whips’ offices for a ‘wee bit of guidance’ every now and again.
And, maybe be asked to have a word in the ears of some Tory rebels. An Ulster accent can be very persuasive!
As for Sinn Féin, they’ll not be taking up their seats, but will be enjoying a sense of similar jubilation at having swatted away the SDLP, defeated Tom Elliott and generally had a pretty good night.
Whatever they can extract as a result of their seven seats may be simply symbolic but it will make discussions about forming a new Executive very interesting.
Can Sinn Féin and the DUP simply ignore the UUP, SDLP and Alliance? With the Assembly election results and the Westminster votes they can effectively do so.
What did you expect? That’s the realpolitik.
One suspects that the DUP and Sinn Féin will take a deep breath next week, and collectively ask “where do we go from here”.
Simple – hell in a hand basket unless somehow they remember that there are public services needing solid funding agreed as soon as possible. Getting an Executive set up will be the only bulwark against stresses and strains in health and education.
Oh to be a fly on the wall when the coffee is poured and the biscuits shared around and, privately, the DUP and Sinn Féin congratulate each other and try to sort out the ‘red lines’.
With the SDLP, UUP and Alliance on the outside the words ‘carve up’ spring to mind…