Massive commitment needed from British and Irish governments to secure a comprehensive agreement

ENDA KENNY AND DAVID CAMERON are due to arrive in Belfast tomorrow (Thursday) to join the Stormont inter-party talks.

Albeit belated, this is a welcome development.  There is now much to do and in a very short timeframe. 

Nine weeks after these talks commenced they have still to become a negotiation process.  Political momentum has been missing.  The political resource of US Senator Gary Hart was not harnessed and the goodwill of the US administration has not been utilised to encourage that momentum.

This could have happened had both governments listened to Sinn Féin (and others) and instead had become jointly involved as equal participants in the talks; and had also allowed Senator Hart to assist in the design and facilitation of an actual talks process.

So the Taoiseach and Prime Minister have a big job of work to build confidence that they are now serious and want to inject political momentum.

To date, smoke and mirrors have surrounded the talks, much of it engineered by the NIO.  Issuing documents purporting to represent unrecognisable consensus on discussions which have never amounted to serious engagements as a decoy to try and narrow the agenda and evade all the issues to be resolved is not a serious way to do business.

Now Jeffrey Donaldson (pictured) says the DUP told the British Government they would not negotiate the issue of parades. If that is true then the British have convened the talks on a false pretext to negotiate all the issues. They need to clarify their exact position.

Last winter, during the Haass negotiations, political unionism engaged with only one objective – to achieve deregulation of Orange parades. In these talks, unionism’s strategy has been premised solely upon financial issues, welfare cuts, and downsizing the Assembly and the number of MLAs. The British share that position and have tried to negotiate it on unionism’s behalf.

The fact is we require a new economic and fiscal model for the North reflecting our special circumstances. Without that, the political process will not work. And unless there is an unconditional commitment by all parties to support power-sharing and partnership government, and the Good Friday Agreement principles, the democratic framework will be undermined – and the current political impasse and the convergent economic crisis will get worse. An extremist minority wants to see that happen.

The depth of the current problems has been reinforced by British negative mismanagement in recent years and passive semi-detachment from the Irish Government.

Both governments have a responsibility in the coming days to reassert the primacy of power-sharing, partnership government, honouring deals, mutual respect and equality.

A landmark negotiation is needed, with all issues on the table.

Talking short-term and small-scale on financial issues, seeking to downsize departments, reducing the number of MLAs but then trying to kick the can up the road on everything else is not an option this time.

All outstanding issues are (as they always were) on the table – the Bill of Rights, Civic Forum, All-Ireland Consultative Forum, and Acht Na Gaeilge. So too must be the expansion of all-Ireland implementation bodies and maximising the use of the North/South Ministerial Council. Compliance with the Programme for Government terms (and specifically implementation of the Maze/Long Kesh project) must also be addressed. 

The template for compromise on the past, parades, and identity and flags has already been set by the Haass proposals. That template needs to be implemented, not diluted.

A comprehensive agreement on all issues is required, including a significant financial package to deliver upon reconstruction, regeneration and reconciliation. Sinn Féin will continue pressing for that negotiation threshold to be met this week.

Enda Kenny and David Cameron need to measure up big time – financially and politically. 

Anything less will sell us all short. Both need to look beyond party electoral self-interests. They need to come to Belfast with serious intent.