Devolution favours one community in Northern Ireland at expense of another

In his latest bulletin to DUP supporters and potential supporters Sir Jeffrey Donaldson states the obvious that: “Devolution can only flourish when there is a solid foundation with cross-community support” ... and ... ”You can’t proceed with powersharing if one community is not on board.”

When challenged about their tacit acceptance of mandatory coalition, party representatives invariably seek to defend their stance by stating that a change to a democratic voluntary coalition would need the support of all sides at Stormont.

The corollary must be that the continued existence of imposed partnership in government requires cross-community support which, to date, it has never enjoyed — unless the views of grassroots unionists are not counted worthy of respect.

If, as Sir Jeffrey says, the Northern Ireland protocol is unsustainable because of its nationalist/ republican bias, the same holds for our current system of devolution which is unique in the democratic world due to its in-built favouring of one community at the major expense of another.

It is time for the DUP to recognise and tackle all undemocratic threats to the Union — not least mandatory coalition — even if it costs.

Cliff Cardwell, Co Londonderry