IT is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the conclusion that, with some exceptions, Stormont might now reasonably be considered a political dole office for the otherwise unemployed.

If you think that is a harsh analysis of our political system, maybe you have not lived here for the past 27 years.

Perhaps you have missed the collapse of our public services; the unending rise in poverty and homelessness; the crippling of the NHS; the deterioration of our roads; the inability to produce a programme for government; the failure to manage a budget; the preservation of a child-damaging education system and the continuing sectarian divide.

In fairness, Stormont has generated a better class of sectarianism.

Newton Emerson: Supreme Court ruling on religious education is a godsend for DUP

Insults, jibes and taunts are now publicly funded, provided they are preceded by incantations such as “Madam, Deputy Speaker”. The Assembly has introduced a new etiquette for sectarian slanging.

This column has previously expressed the then unpopular view that Stormont cannot govern for the benefit of its people.

That former heresy is now generally accepted as truth by those people and political parties who sang the peace process anthem “There’ll be days like this”. They have now noticed that the good days never arrived.

The solution, they say, is to reform Stormont (whatever that means). However, the Executive parties have power without responsibility, so why give that up?

No matter how the parties perform, they will still be re-elected. For the second year running, for example, the

© The Irish News