Editorial: Sinn Fein should learn to compromise with unionists rather than sabre rattle over Stormont's future

Republicans have no justification for collapsing Northern Ireland's power-sharing institutions, and certainly not over the grievances they've aired in recent weeks.

There were mixed messages from leading Sinn Fein figures on Tuesday, with the finance minister flatly denying that the party were planning any walkout at Stormont.

As he made those comments in a BBC interview, Declan Kearney, the party's national chairperson, posted an article from last week on his social media.

In it, he accused the DUP of “arrogance, sectarianism and economic illiteracy” - and of “deep hostility towards the Irish language”.

The DUP's failure to accept wholesale key Sinn Fein demands such as the 'Good Jobs Bill' are cited as evidence of a 'wrecker's agenda'.

The problem is not that the DUP is trying to wreck anything – they simply don't agree that the policies of their partners in government are all necessarily the right approach for the country.

SF will no doubt feel that with Alliance’s backing, they are entitled to push their agenda through.

But that is not how Northern Ireland works, and for good reason.

If SF are serious about their repeated claims that they support power-sharing – they will seek compromise on the employment bill and other demands.

Rather than unionist intransigence, there is a compelling argument that republicans just don't want to cut deals with unionists. SF received a healthy mandate of 29% at the last Assembly election, but that is clearly not enough to demand everything their own way, and then if they don't get it – rip the whole thing down.

Perhaps, despite the predominant narrative of the past 30 years, it is republicans who must learn to share and compromise.