{"id":4420,"date":"2018-11-02T09:32:35","date_gmt":"2018-11-02T09:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=4420"},"modified":"2018-11-02T09:32:43","modified_gmt":"2018-11-02T09:32:43","slug":"secretary-of-state-karen-bradley-in-eye-of-storm-by-brian-rowan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=4420","title":{"rendered":"SECRETARY OF STATE KAREN BRADLEY IN EYE OF STORM \u2013 By Brian Rowan"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The on-mic\/on-the-record commentary was bad enough \u2013 but what was whispered on the sidelines of Thursday\u2019s Stormont talks was all the more telling.<\/p>\n

\u201cShit show\u201d was one summary. \u201cComplete bollocks\u201d another. \u201cBloody awful\u201d yet another two word put down of this all-party meeting with Secretary of State Karen Bradley.<\/p>\n

When you think things are as bad as they can be on the political hill, they just get worse.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tone of it just stank,\u201d one source told me. \u201cI can\u2019t emphasise enough how bad the atmosphere was.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Secretary of State had just 45 minutes for the meeting \u2013 scheduled against a flight time she had to make.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a car crash,\u201d another of those present in the room told me.<\/p>\n

Karen Bradley was there with Sir Jonathan Stephens \u2013 Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office.<\/p>\n

The parties were represented by Christopher Stalford and Peter Weir (DUP), John O\u2019Dowd and Mairtin O Muilleoir (Sinn Fein), Colum Eastwood and Nichola Mallon (SDLP), Robin Swann and Steve Aiken (Ulster Unionist Party) and Naomi Long and Stephen Farry (Alliance).<\/p>\n

The meeting opened with a sharp exchange between O\u2019Dowd and Stalford on an Irish Language Act and, so, the tone was set.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt [the meeting] was disastrous from beginning to end,\u201d one source commented. \u201cIt was completely flawed from conception to execution.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this deepening crisis, the Secretary of State is being seen more and more as the problem. The Northern Ireland Office has no political strategy.<\/p>\n

The parties were given a paper: Proposals to restore political engagement in Northern Ireland, which thinks out on external facilitation and possible exploratory dialogue trying to build consensus to enable a talks process early in the New Year.<\/p>\n

On external facilitation, it reads: \u201cIn particular there may be merit in an initial limited role aimed at working with the parties to develop suggestions on the basis of consensus for a process of renewed dialogue and talks to re-establish the Executive.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post-meeting Sinn Fein news conference set the scene. A couple of sentences spoken by John O\u2019Dowd indicating no change and no plan. It was short and very pointed and then he and Mairtin O Mulleoir left without taking questions.<\/p>\n

It was clearly intended to make the point that there was nothing to talk about.<\/p>\n

Next to the microphone was Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann to describe a meeting that in his opinion was \u201cill advised\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cSinn Fein\u2019s belligerent tone and attitude did not help the situation, nor does it bode well for the future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

I asked Swann did he believe there would be a functioning Stormont government at the centenary of Northern Ireland?<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he said, but another Stormont source replied: \u201cIt\u2019s doubtful.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is the deepening crisis \u2013 that after almost two years without government, there is not yet a viable, agreed talks plan.<\/p>\n

Karen Bradley and the Northern Ireland Office are hostages to the Tory\/DUP arrangement in London.<\/p>\n

One observer spoke of the \u201claser-like focus\u201d being on Brexit and trying to keep the DUP on board \u2013 not on the restoration of the Executive.<\/p>\n

After Thursday\u2019s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0meeting, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he should have stayed in Derry, and described an embarrassing day for the Secretary of State and a bad day for politics.<\/p>\n

Alliance leader Naomi Long believes Stormont is further away from a deal than in February when a draft agreement unravelled and negotiations collapsed.<\/p>\n

What was most worrying about this day was that talk of \u201cshit show\u201d and \u201ccomplete bollocks\u201d. The politics of this place is now so \u201cbroken\u201d that it has moved beyond pantomime and farce.<\/p>\n

Will there be a government at the centenary of Northern Ireland?<\/p>\n

After this latest play, it is a serious question.<\/p>\n

This article first appeared on EamonnMallie.com<\/p>\n

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