Lack of RHI restraints was a sop to Sinn Fein

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