IT’S early July, which means it’s time to pack up the ‘toytown parliament’ and put it in the storeroom for the summer, alongside the wooden building blocks and sandpit.

Despite a minor flurry of bill activity this week ahead of Stormont’s eight-week recess, the 2025-26 session won’t be remembered for its prolific legislative output.

Part of the under-performance can be attributed to a combination of over-promising and politicking, but mostly it’s just typical of Stormont’s ponderous and bumbling default setting.

The big stories ‘On the Hill’ since last September haven’t been about the successes at Parliament Buildings but rather reports of alleged largesse and double standards in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

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The tales of inflation-busting pay hikes, an over-budget canteen refurbishment, all-expenses overseas trips, and accusations of double dipping on travel costs disprove the old adage that there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

Against a backdrop of poor delivery, the assembly is in serious danger of sleep-walking into a major credibility crisis, which ultimately won’t be a positive state of affairs. Without proper outcomes and just more of the same pomposity, the public will increasingly question its value.

Let’s hope the 2026-27 session, truncated to accommodate next May’s election, will be more productive and see much greater self-awareness from our elected representatives.

Another institution facing a run of........

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