I prefer unionist competence to unity

What has shaken me to the core is the ineptitude and lack of foresight of the DUP and how little they have progressed since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement (GFA).

Did it ever twig with them that with changing demographics you have to co-operate with your opponents?

When the grown up unionists helped negotiate the GFA this is what I thought we were all signing up to. Not it seems the DUP.

When the RHI story broke in December Arlene Foster didn’t take responsibility, blamed officials, £490m was just a jot and tittle, Assembly rules were broken resulting in an Assembly walkout, Irish language money cut, and Sinn Fein accused of playing chicken on calling an election.

It was four weeks of madness that gave Sinn Fein no alternative but to resign otherwise they would have lost face with their own constituency. Even political opponents need to be given room to manoeuvre too. The result was the ‘crocodile’ election.

The spluttering’s of Gregory Campbell (is the curry my yoghurt joke funny now?) and Sammy Wilson’s anti BBC tirade demonstrate a refusal to accept that the election result was self-inflicted. Now Ian Paisley declares that the DUP need a new diplomacy and skill set amongst their politicians – that’s an understatement.

DUP founding member Wallace Thompson states that they need to compromise to move things forward – what a brainwave. Edwin Poots says that DUP tactics contributed to Sinn Fein success – more brilliant insight.

Arlene Foster is not the safe pair of hands I was promised she was, and as for unionist unity, I much prefer unionist leadership to display competency and strategy.

Thomas Stewart, Belfast BT4