Problems in Northern Ireland are down to politics based on tribalism

The politicians are still stuck in the endless revolving door of “our tribe against your tribe”, writes Fergus Finlay

YEARS ago I was asked to help out on a training course for candidates who were running for election to one of the early Northern Ireland assemblies. It was a broad, cross-party group, most (though not all) young. The requirement was for the sort of basic skills that candidates need — how to stand up in front of an audience and make a speech, how to prepare and issue a press release, that sort of thing.

After I had done my presentation, I set them each the task of writing a five-minute speech on the subject of their choice — about 600 words each. When they were done, they had to read what they had written to their colleagues.