Blunt talk from Foster about SF was badly needed

It was entirely understandable and appropriate that people such as Lord Alderdice and Seamus Mallon and George Mitchell and David Trimble felt satisfaction at the improbable deal that they reached.

It was also understandable that such leaders, particularly the visiting dignitaries led by President Clinton, appealed to the current political leaders to reach a fresh agreement.

But the reality of the situation is that Sinn Fein has not only collapsed Stormont on transparently cynical, and indeed continuously shifting, grounds, but it has behaved with relentless bad grace since then.

The party has had the audacity to hector unionists over the need for respect, integrity and equality while showing only disrespect to Protestant sensitivities.

As for equality, Sinn Fein is the beneficiary of great inequality, in which it is allowed to issue red lines and behave as it pleases, something that would be tolerated of no other party, and still there is pressure on unionists to succumb to its sectarian agenda.

It is no less than a hideous joke for the party to demand integrity of others, when it has been so consciously destructive of local government here for its own ends.

Yesterday the DUP leader Arlene Foster spoke about some of this conduct in blunt terms that were badly needed.

She also pointed out that Sinn Fein had further shattered trust by leaking documents in the talks.

It is good to hear Mrs Foster speak in this way, because it suggests that a deal is unlikely — as it should be in this climate.

Anything less would be a climbdown to republican blackmail.

The only acceptable alternative to British only direct rule now is a shadow assembly, which would mean that MLAs still have a scrutiny role, despite Sinn Fein de-stabilising tactics.