Morning View: Government provides practical help on energy

There was some good news on energy costs for consumers in Northern Ireland this week. The banking giant, Goldman Sachs, predicted that gas prices in Europe will fall 30% in coming months, meaning fuel and electricity bills are likely to tumble.

Meanwhile, the government launched its energy price guarantee, which caps prices for households here. Ministers claim that the scheme will save consumers who use gas and electricity around £700 this winter.

The government is also in the process of rolling out £400 toward energy bills, though the timing of these payments is uncertain and, naturally, there are other complications.

There remain questions about when help for users of oil-fired central heating will arrive. And the new mood of economic prudence at Westminster means that these schemes may not be extended into 2024. Still, the government is taking action to alleviate the cost of living, while trying to avoid stimulating further inflation and making matters worse.

In Northern Ireland, we’ve listened repeatedly to the argument that reviving power-sharing at Stormont would lessen the pain of rising prices. More realistic voices point out that, for decades, the executive concentrated on making populist announcements while avoiding the potentially unpopular work of reforming public services like education and the NHS. Why should it do better now?

When the devolved institutions are working, they provide a symbol that Northern Ireland is stable and give the appearance of local people taking part in important political debates. Their effectiveness in tackling practical problems is more questionable.

At the root of the current political instability in Northern Ireland are issues around the Protocol. If these are sorted out, Stormont will quickly return. That would provide some hopeful imagery, but it wouldn’t be a panacea for our society’s many difficulties.