Bruised Unionists hang on to power Sinn Fein on the rise
Nationalists celebrate big gains after an acrimonious campaign, but the possibility of a return to direct rule from London lingers.
block extending gay marriage to the province.
The two largest parties will have three weeks to form a new powersharing government to avoid devolved power returning to the British parliament at Westminster for the first time in a decade.
But with relations at their lowest point in a decade, Sinn Fein’s demands for re-entering government include that Foster must step aside while months of investigations begin into a botched green energy scheme she established.
The former political wing of the Irish Republican Army, which accused the DUP of not treating it as an equal before collapsing the previous administration in January, will be further buoyed by its strong showing.
‘‘The prospect of a devolved government being formed, which was already slim anyway, is very remote,’’ said Jon Tonge, professor of politics at Liverpool University.
‘‘If Sinn Fein becomes the largest party, the DUP will not go into government with them, and if the DUP remain the largest party, Sinn Fein have said they won’t work with Arlene Foster. I just don’t see it happening.’’
No-one is predicting that the impasse will bring a return to the violence that killed 3600 people in the three decades of ‘‘The Troubles’’ before the peace agreement.
But some are warning that there could be a deterioration in community relations coupled with government paralysis, as Brexit talks will determine the province’s political and economic future.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said he could not guarantee that the return of Northern Ireland’s 1.8 million people to direct rule from London could be avoided.
‘‘That would be a total failure of the politicians of Northern Ireland,’’ said Peter Hain, the last British minister for Northern Ireland to oversee direct rule in 2007.
‘‘To effectively hand power back to London would I think be a disaster for devolution and a serious setback for progress in Northern Ireland.’’