Political OD Podcast 9: An uncertain legacy

William Murphy [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)]

There was an unprecedented reaction when Julian Smith was replaced as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Brandon Lewis. On social media in particular, it seemed like the entire province was gnashing its teeth and rending its garments.

But, what did the outgoing minister really achieve? He got the Assembly back up and running, partly because Sinn Fein and the DUP were desperate to avoid an election and partly thanks to some trickery during negotiations. During those talks, he comprehensively trashed the three-stranded approach, that prevents the Republic of Ireland government from interfering in Northern Ireland's affairs.

There are already signs that the new power-sharing Executive is wobbling. The parties are unhappy with funding, as ever, and there's little reason to believe they're ready to take a fresh, responsible attitude to the public finances. So far, there have been plenty of spending commitments, but few explanations of how these might be paid for or what kind of budget might emerge.

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Smith's deal was his decision to fast-track legacy proposals, at a time when we're still waiting for the publication of thousands of consultation responses. The plans, for which the DUP and Sinn Féin are also responsible, threaten to turn 'dealing with the past' into a witch-hunt directed at former members of the security forces.

In particular, a non-criminal citation for misconduct is to be introduced for ex-RUC officers, with no right to appeal. The HIU is empowered to establish fact but must disregard context as it launches its investigations, ensuring that a final report by academics is likely to give a skewed and misleading interpretation of the Troubles. 

In the latest PoliticalOD podcast, David from The Dissenter and I unpick the issues around budgeting at the Assembly and analyse the clash between the NI legacy proposals and the government's commitment to avoid 'vexatious' prosecutions.

Download or stream the podcast at Podbean, Spotify, iTunes or Pocket Casts.