Tom Ekin: We are tolerating serial political failure and seeing our young depart

We have suffered some 40 years of various forms of unionist parties preventing progress and IRA then Sinn Fein doing likewise.

Once they had achieved their dominance of their “own Lot” they failed for the last 20 years to do little if anything positive for the whole of Northern Ireland.

Yet they still herd us like cattle into the political cul de sac of sectarianism, negativity and vetoes.

Surely it is up to us “cattle” to object to this seemingly endless failure.

You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, so is it not time that more of us refused to vote for the serial failures, and accept the outcome, which we can then build upon?

There have been chances of making progress that most of us could tolerate, if not gladly welcome. But these have been squandered.

Mutual Vetoes (aka petitions of concern) don’t work.

It was stated many times 20 years ago that there is a system where a qualified majority will ensure decision making while respecting the tribal make up and the different degrees of willingness of the Northern Ireland population to accept change.

Why do you and I continue to accept this serial failure, the consequent waste of our taxes, the waste of our young talent who emigrate, and the wasted opportunities to deal with the difficult issues which continue to blight the lives of so many of our people.

To make NI more normal, we all have to make uncomfortable decisions and changes, and the sooner the better.

Tom Ekin, Belfast BT9