Lack of RHI restraints was a sop to Sinn Fein
When interviewed on UTV Live on Monday evening, the first minister's explanation for having different RHI financial arrangements from GB was lamentable in the extreme.
In my view, the Northern Ireland arrangements were put together as a further DUP sop to Sinn Fein who won’t have anything British about the place.
As with other extravagances like bilingual documentation, the development of local RHI rules – even if they had proved robust – was an unnecessary drain on the near-empty public purse. ‘Why fix it if it ain’t broke?’
As it turns out, the sop will actually cost us more financially than anyone could have ever imagined.
Politically, the cost of continually appeasing Sinn Fein will be even greater.
Cliff Cardwell, Co Londonderry