Easing of lockdown is happening slowly, and is too focused on an all island approach

Michelle O’Neill abandoned collective responsibility and on Friday March 13 came out and demanded they close, in line with the Republic of Ireland, despite the executive agreement the day before that they stay open.

Republicans ever since called for a harder lockdown than the rest of the UK, and criticised the UK government for its response to the crisis. They called for businesses like Ulster Carpets, which rightly tried to keep going during the lockdown, to close. Yet for all their demand for a fierce lockdown, they were hesitant about giving extra powers to the PSNI. Ms O’Neill then criticised the health minister, Robin Swann.

Sinn Fein was slow to allow cemeteries to re-open, until it came under pressure from its own community, then was slow to support church re-opening, until likewise.

Schools will not be opening in time with England, in June, but in time with the Republic in the autumn.

Meanwhile, no shortage of commentators have peddled the idea that Dublin has handled this crisis better than London. The unionist response to this has been cowed and weak. But then unionists know that if Sinn Fein collapse the assembly again, it will stay down until their next demands are met.

Now lockdown is gradually being eased, in five phases — like in the Republic of Ireland. The first moves are welcome, particularly groups being able to meet outside, and the opening of garden centres and churches for solitary visits.

Many of the relaxation measures, such as playing a sport such as golf in a wide open space, are overdue.

Now we need concrete steps to a fuller return of business, so we can begin to turnaround the economic disaster.

We also need a much more vociferous unionist response to the grievance mongering misuse of statistics to comparisons between NI and the Republic, which have fared roughly the same, and to the notion that we must move in step with the Republic, made to advance an all-island approach to policy.