Republicans making better use of the British solution than unionists

IT’S an awful thing to say, but there’s some truth to national stereotypes.

I’m writing this from the south of France, and out the window I can see French families sitting to dinner in the town square. Mama and papa, grandparents and children all around a table groaning with food and wine, with les enfants too busy tucking into their fourth course to parley, let alone squabble.

It’s not a sight you’d usually see at home, or in Britain, where I was last week. Talking about Northern Ireland with political friends, it’s clear the British have their own way of thinking. Most voiced strong support for the Good Friday agreement, and think it will work. One described it as “a very British solution”, by which she meant it encapsulated the values of common-sense, fair play, and pragmatism, all of which the British regard as their national virtues.