Government in opposition
| 11:52 UK time, Thursday, 2 August 2007
The DUP in the 1999-2002 Executive liked to style itself as "government in opposition." It was a phrase the other Executive ministers treated with contempt, but is the DUP about to get the same treatment from the Ulster Unionists? The party's assembly team is gathering at Stormont next week for a strategy meeting which will debate the potential of the party to take an opposition role either inside or outside the Executive, or both. Notably, the UUP chief whip David McNarry has been quoting the DUP minister Peter Robinson's remark that the four-party Executive is in fact dominated by two parties, the DUP and Sinn Fein. Is the UUP about to lay the blame for unpopular decisions at the feet of the "dominant parties." Water charges springs to mind!
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Let's hope the UUP do go for it. It would be a welcome step along the road to a 'normal' political system where there is an opposition to hold the 'governing coalition' to account.
In the long term it is the only way forward. Having everybody in government (except the Alliance and independents) removes an incentive to vote as there is no way of voting for change.
The next step would then be convincing the main parties to try and rid themselves of divisions along sectarian lines. Then we would really be in business.....
Water charges would be a big ask to blame on others as Trimble with Durkan caused them through the Reinvestment and Reform Initiative they negotiated without reference to other members of the Executive. Ever since others have been trying to clean up the mess they created by high interest one off handouts.
Though forgetting what they did when in the driving seat is an oft repeated trait of the punch drunk UUP.
The Ulster Unionist Party - past masters of the stroke of tactical genius. Like backing Johnny Major over Maastricht.