Sam McBride: There is symmetry here with how RHI toppled devolution – but far more is now at stake

At this point, it still looks unlikely that this crisis over Bobby Storey’s funeral on Tuesday will end with the spectacular implosion of January 2017.

However, if the DUP and Sinn Fein do not realise the gravity of where this might lead, they are in danger of presiding over yet another avoidable escalation of a situation which was initially politically manageable.

In early and mid-December 2016, as the RHI scandal developed, Martin McGuinness did not want to topple Stormont and sought to work with the DUP to set up a limited investigation which it is now clear would never have got to the truth of what went on with cash for ash.

But as revelation after revelation tumbled out, that position became untenable and he began to look weak to Sinn Fein members and supporters.

Ultimately, he came to ask Arlene Foster to step aside as first minister until the issue was investigated, something she predictably refused to do, and from then on the Executive was on a path to collapse because the only other way of removing her was for Mr McGuinness to himself resign.

Now, laden with irony, it is Mrs Foster who finds herself where Mr McGuinness was then – doing as little as possible at each stage, but finding herself swept along to ask for more than she initially demanded because of the depth of anger at what Ms O’Neill has done and the sense that Mrs Foster appeared impotent.

Both parties appear to have repeated their mistaken belief of December 2016 that the crisis was contrived by the media, the public are not really that angry and it will blow over quickly.

And Ms O’Neill’s tone now – as Mrs Foster’s was in 2016 – is wholly unrepentant, itself a factor adding to the anger at what seems to be an out-of-touch minister believing that she does not have to make the sacrifice which she has asked ordinary members of the public to make.

Her approach over the last 48 hours has been grossly injudicious, with not a hint of apology and the insistence that every aspect of the funeral – with the exception of a “blink of an eye” selfie which she appeared to blame on the photographer – had been in line with her guidance.

Yet if this ends in Stormont’s collapse, it will be far graver than three years ago.

Not only is devolution less likely to return at all after another implosion, but, more gravely, dealing with the life and death decisions now necessary would be disrupted.

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