IT’S no longer a matter of if, but when. The break-up of the United Kingdom is an inevitability.

It was barely holding itself together, but the outcome of last week’s elections in Wales, Scotland and England has loosened the glue further.

Separatist parties now govern Wales and Scotland, with their first ministers-elect joining Michelle O’Neill.

She must have been cracking open the champagne as the votes rolled in. As the late British queen did on the night the Scottish independence referendum was lost, I’m sure she cooed down the phone as she congratulated Scottish National Party leader John Swinney; returned to power with 58 seats – a full 41 more than his nearest rival.

Noel Doran: With Stormont heading for the rocks, unionism’s strategy is hard to fathom

Oscar Romero and the price to pay for peace

Lost in the talk about the emergence of this political Celtic axis is the fact that divisions exist not only between the constituent parts of the UK. England too is tearing itself apart, with a clear north-south divide.

This divide is exacerbated by Reform’s shift from a party of protest to one of ‘government’. It now controls 18 councils, and the prospect of it triumphing in the next Westminster election is no longer considered a fantasy.

England’s difficulty is the occupied nations’ opportunity.

But it is not all good news. Swinney’s victory in the Scottish parliamentary election........

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