Page 64 - The Economist Asia January 2018

The Economist January 27th 2018
48 Britain
2 higher taxes. This week Boris Johnson, the kins, who was head of strategy in Down- abuses by the security services. The atmo-
foreign secretary, tooka breakfrom his day ingStreet until last summer. sphere was summed up by Naomi Long,
job to demand that the NHS receive an ex- Others, such as Nicholas Boles, a for- the leader of the centrist Alliance Party,
tra £100m per week. When it came to the mer Tory minister, have suggested raising when she declared: “There is zero trust.”
matter ofhow to pay for it, Mr Johnson fell NICs, arguing that the idea might win pub- That is partly because the negotiations
back on the idea of a “Brexit dividend”, an lic support if it were made clear that the have been punctuated by bouts of elector-
optimistic notion given that Brexit is ex- revenue went to the NHS. Various techno- al combat. Elections to the suspended As-
pected to cost the exchequermoney. crats, includingNickMacpherson, a former semblylastMarch produced a surge in sup-
But some in his party are thinking seri- permanent secretary at the Treasury, have port for Sinn Fein. The general election in
ously about how more revenue could be given cautious backing to something akin June saw the DUP recover, increasing its
squeezed outofvoters. Lastyearthe Tories’ to a hypothecated tax for the NHS, an idea tally of MPs to ten. This proved crucial
election manifesto promised to make as- normally unpopularwith economists. when Theresa May fell short of a majority
set-rich pensioners pay more towards the Taxreform isunlikelyduringthis parlia- and persuaded the DUPto prop up hergov-
cost of their care in later life, by including ment. The legislative calendar is crowded ernment, in return for £1bn ($1.4bn) in new
the value oftheir homes in assessments of by Brexit and the government has only a funding for the province. Republicans be-
their means. The policy’s poor design slim majority. Slowly, however, political lieve that the British government’s depen-
meant that it was rightly criticised as a “de- tectonicplatesare moving. The prime min- dence on the DUP has undermined its role
mentia tax” on those unlucky enough to ister is under increasing attack for her ti- as an impartial brokerin the talks.
run up large billsforsocial care; it washast- midity. Polls show that half of voters think The other aggravating factor is Brexit.
ily dropped. Yet many Tories remain open taxes should rise, the highest proportion Most republicans oppose it, since it would
to tapping the wealthy. “There is a critical since 2004. If the public want to maintain weaken ties with the Republic of Ireland.
mass that tax on wealth will have to hap- current levels ofpublic services, they must Most unionists support it, for exactly the
pen at some point, as the system is unsus- pay. Eventually the government, and the same reason.
tainable. Itissomethingthe prime minister opposition, will have to take their lead The latest round of talks features two
is cautiously interested in,” says Chris Wil- from Healey and admit it. 7 new figures. Karen Bradley, whom Mrs
Mayappointed Northern Ireland secretary
earlier this month, was previously the cul-
Northern Ireland’s shutdown ture secretary and has no previous experi-
A little more conversation ence ofthe province. Meanwhile Sinn Fein
will soon be led by Mary Lou McDonald,
who will take over from Gerry Adams. Re-
publicans hope that Ms McDonald, who
has no past connection to the Irish Repub-
lican Army (IRA), will attract a new gener-
ation ofvoters to the party.
BELFAST That ambition, and the chances of suc-
Butprobablyno more action, as the province notches up a yearin political limbo
cess for the talks, have been dented by the
HIS year will mark two decades since suspension ofthe devolved government. antics of Barry McElduff, a Sinn Fein MP.
Tthe Good FridayAgreementbrought an Since then the British government has On January 5th, the anniversary of a mas-
end to years of sectarian conflict in North- hosted rounds of fruitless talks between sacre in 1976 of ten Protestant civilians by
ern Ireland. But as the region’s politicians the two parties, covering issues ranging the IRA near the village of Kingsmill, Mr
gathered for talks on January 24th, a grim- from the rights of speakers of the Irish lan- McElduffposted a video ofhimselflarking
mer anniversary was on their minds. As of guage to the investigation of alleged past about in a supermarket with a loaf of
this week the Stormont Assembly, set up Kingsmill bread on his head. He was even-
under the Good Friday deal, has been sus- tually forced to resign. Sinn Fein should
pended for a year, following an almighty have no problem winningthe forthcoming
falling out between republican and union- by-election for his seat, but his behaviour
ist parties. The latest round of discussions has made a mockery of republican com-
designed to getitbackup and running does plaints about the DUP’s “disrespect” for its
not lookpromising. opponents. The contest will be bitter.
Senior members ofthe clergy painted a What if the talks go nowhere? With the
bleak picture in their new-year messages. Assembly suspended, Northern Ireland is
Ken Good, the Protestant bishop of Derry alreadybeinggoverned mainlyfrom West-
and Raphoe, lamented that Northern Ire- minster. In the absence of a deal between
land “has felt more divided than for a gen- Sinn Fein and the DUP, the province could
eration.” Eamon Martin, the Catholic arch- revertto “directrule” bythe British. In prac-
bishop ofArmagh, said: “We seem to have tice that might not look very different. But
gone into a kind ofvacuum atthe moment, the breakdown of a key part of the Good
with very little sense ofdirection.” Friday Agreement is a cause for deep con-
Last January, Assembly proceedings cern. The accord has formed the basis for
shuddered to a halt when the late Martin Northern Ireland’sprosperityand security.
McGuinness, Sinn Fein’s leader in the During the 1990s around 550 people were
north, resigned as deputy first minister. killed as a result of sectarian violence. In
McGuinness cited the “shameful disre- the past decade, fewer than 30 have been.
spect” shown to his fellow republicans by Few believe that the end of devolution
the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn could resultin a return to previouslevels of
Fein’s partner in government. Under the violence. Butthe longerNorthern Ireland’s
Assembly’s power-sharing rules, Sinn politicians play for time, the greater the
Fein’s withdrawal caused an automatic Sinn Fein’s leaders, in no hurry risks they take with the hard-won peace. 7