The Alliance Party marks 50 years in existence this week – while the sectarian pot still boils

They saw that nothing had improved since the last great opportunity, the end of the Second World War.

They created a new political party – Alliance. A new way of thinking.

In those 50 years there have been several opportunities to build a better future, the disastrous “Troubles”, the failed Sunningdale Agreement, the financial crash of 1980s, the Good Friday referendum, and now Covid-19.

During these years the politics has stuck, still serving the elected politicians quite well, but not serving the people of Northern Ireland at all well. The politicians are focussed in keeping the old sectarian pot boiling, which in turn keeps them in their jobs .

But it does not keep jobs for the rest of us.

We the taxpayers and I include all my children who live and work in Great Britain) are rightly fed up with the negativity and total lack of ability to get anything done, and we are paying for it.

Covid-19 has demonstrated that most of us can do extraordinary things very quickly and with relatively little discomfort. It is up to us to chivvy the politicians and public servants to deliver positive results in changing our society as a real thank you to all the people who have done the incredible service for everyone in NI.

Let’s not miss another opportunity to improve. No time to prevaricate.

Tom Ekin, Belfast