The peace and prosperity enjoyed in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday agreement is embedded, but fragile. The next delicate step to full peace is the devolution of police and justice powers. It is widely believed that if the Conservatives win the general election they will not have a majority. This is a contributing factor to the Tories linking up with the UUP to increase the number of House of Commons seats that Cameron could command support from. They have formed a pact and will fight the election under the joint banner, “Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – Joint Force”. This move to politically align with one side of the republican-unionist divide reduces the confidence of republicans to ever being able to talk constructively with a possible future Conservative government as well as the Conservative party’s capacity to be a force for essential neutrality in Northern Ireland. If the Tories win by a small margin the influence and power of the UUP over the Conservatives will be greatly increased. They could possibly demand the position of Northern Ireland secretary. To agree and give this position to either side of the republican-unionist conflict would destroy the peace process.
There is also widespread concern that the Tories are talking to the DUP to create a more united unionist pact to stop republicans making electoral gains. Republicans would view this as a form of gerrymandering to steal electoral gain. Furthermore, the Tories have announced that they want to remove the republican and unionist powersharing of Stormont in favour of voluntary coalition. This announcement from shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Owen Paterson, was carried in the Times on 12 February. The article said Paterson had told the BBC that “We would like to move towards voluntary coalition.” Gerry Kelly, a Sinn Féin minister in the province’s executive, responded, “There can be no tampering with the institutions. There will be no return to unionist one-party misrule in the north of Ireland.” The Times carried these comments as “playing with fire”. Stephen Pound, Labour member of the Commons Northern Ireland committee, went so far as saying “This is the bonfire of bipartisanship.” Paterson’s move would allow the UUP and DUP to form a coalition to stop republicans remaining in power. Any such move would lead to a resurgence in republican violence and would destroy the peace process.
Some things are more important than Westminster party politics and electoral ambition. Peace in Northern Ireland is just one of them. Anybody who would wreck hard earned and painful peace for personal or party gain is not fit to govern.