Running fast to stand still

Just read Mark Devenport's article on the victims mess that is currently running this week.

And it continues today with the messing around with the cohesion strategy that was supposed to have been published almost a year ago. Adding this to the SPED fiasco from last week, the new term for the NI Executive has not gotten off to a good start.

No matter who is to blame or who is holding things up - it does not fill the populace with a huge amount of confidence in the ability of the Executive to actually work.

What really seems to be stopping things from working is the parties, especially the DUP and Sinn Fein, looking forward to the next two years. Northern Ireland seems to love going to the polls, although actual voting figures may begin to show we are getting a bit fed up with it all. From this year we have

2009 European Election

2010 General Election (Westminster)

2011 Assembly Election

Local Government Election

With the damage the TUV did to the DUP during the EU election, and the questions being raised over Gerry's ability to lead and renew Sinn Fein who are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain their foot hold in the mother country and indeed lost an MEP, there is a natural move to 'pull back and sound out the troops' mentality.

Simply doing good for society, therefore, is not enough. In a way i can see the political point of view on this, one we all need to rememebr, you only get to implement your policies if you win - ipso facto you must concentrate on winning. This can entail limiting anything that may dampen enthusiasm from the party faithful.

So we have many 'iffy' pieces of work from the Executive that, if rubber stamped in the next two years, could dissuade political party voting stalwarts to reconsider those ever important votes.

When i say 'iffy' i mean issues that are not all that ideologically comfortable but might be doable if there was a long enough period for staunch voters to forget about the issues that have been passed. Unfortunately looking at the timetable this is not a viable prospect.

But we live in hope.

But only just.