Time to grow up - Stormont impasse

LIKE every member of democratic parliaments around the world, the members of the Northern Assembly, every last one of them, was elected to administer, run, develop, and advance the society they represent.

Not one of them, collectively or individually, has the right to jeopardise the hard-won peace that has yet to mature into what any civilised society would regard as normal.

In that light, yesterday’s warning from Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers that the future of Stormont is “in jeopardy” must be taken most seriously. Should that transpire, it would be an invitation for those opposed to the kind of accommodations essential to build a united society to vent the old, destructive hatreds.

The assembly cannot expect that outside voices will always intervene and calm their local storms, it is time they faced the reality of power and made the hard, unpalatable decisions required to stay in existence. Every other administration has to do this at one time or another.

Enough petulance from Belfast, it’s time to grow up.