We expected and anticipated the teething problems; after all, Northern Ireland hadn’t had a fully functioning government of its own since March 1972 and had grown used to the Northern Ireland Office and shifting teams of fly-in-and-fly-out-again ministers making all the decisions for us. Indeed it turned into something that was considered ‘sexy’ enough to earn water-cooler status across all communities and classes in Northern Ireland. The DUP had no idea how Sir Patrick Coghlin, the chairman of the inquiry, would interpret all of this. Another blow, in the shape of a ‘bad’ RHI report, would have forced Foster’s resignation. He was formerly director of communications for the Ulster Unionist Party

Source: The Irish Times March 16, 2020 06:00 UTC