Years of power-sharing left in ashes of fiery dispute

The last decade at Stormont has been marked by myriad crises. The latest political drama to consume the devolved institutions is different in cause and potentially consequence. This is why.

There have been many bumps along the way for the DUP and Sinn Fein’s coalition government since their power-sharing pact of 2007.

But despite all the potholes in the intervening 10 years the show stayed on the road. Today at 5pm all that will change when a Stormont election is triggered.

But a poll will not solve anything without resolution to the wrangle that triggered it, so post-election Northern Ireland is facing the possibility of a return to direct rule from Westminster to facilitate a lengthy talks process.

Many observers have noted the irony of Stormont breaking not on the altar of a traditional unionist vs nationalist spat, but a row over the financial mismanagement of an eco-friendly boiler system.

Since the latest crisis blew up, Sinn Fein has cited other political grievances with the DUP. The DUP, in turn, has accused republicans of trying to undermine unionism.

Those narratives are more in tune with the usual Stormont discourse.

But the spark that lit the fire was not — it was a stand-off between Mrs Foster and Mr McGuinness on an incentive scheme to encourage the use of wood pellets rather than fossil fuels.

In institutions dominated by orange and green, few but would have been surprised that a green issue was the source of the executive’s collapse. It would have been a 50/50 call. But surely not a green boiler issue...