The pace of Stormont talks is not just a matter for Varadkar

Presumably the ‘we’ in this is the British and Irish governments.

They are both co-guarantors of the Belfast Agreement, but that does not mean that they have joint stewardship of Northern Ireland. Yet when it comes to the talks for many years there has been a reflex reference to ‘the two governments,’ as if in tandem they do have such joint stewardship.

However, whether or not talks are feasible and direct rule returns is a matter for the British government — not that you would ever know that from the way in which ministers never contradict Dublin.

They might perhaps want to contradict Dublin now. Because Leo Varadkar, who has, like his deputy Simon Coveney, seemed to think it is their right to say when the EU, for example, should be uncompromising on London or when, as latterly, they think Brussels should cut Britain some slack.

Now Mr Varadkar is first saying that there will be talks in the autumn, and then wondering whether he will in fact allow it.

He said: “I think the absence of any clarity around Brexit makes that very difficult but if we can have that in October, I think there is an opportunity certainly before the end of the year to get the Assembly and Executive up and running.”

He has long said the same about the backstop: that Brexit talks can only proceed when it is nailed down.

London could show some steel and correct him on these points and say that the aggressive stance of the Irish was such that it was now hard to envisage talks until Brexit was out of the way, preferably with a deal but if need be without one.

Unionists would agree with that. And, given the Irish Brexit tactics, any talks would only proceed with a strict observation of the three stranded approach ( an approach which, in fairness to the UK government, it did mention this week).