Unique and different NI - punching above our weight as always

It has gripped the attention of the 27 EU member states and recently received disproportionate amounts of the time of the UK Prime Minister and also the Irish government.

President Joe Biden is constantly on hand to offer advice on the subject of the NI Protocol and anything else Irish that might appeal to certain U.S. voters. Even King Charles has got involved with tea and wisdom for the EU President.

But whatever the political agendas of the players, it is clear that all genuinely have the welfare of NI and its people at heart.

The finer points of the NI Protocol are of greatest concern to unionists, and a few political scientists, but matter little to many of the citizens of Belfast, Derry or Bangor. With the backdrop of the cost of living crisis most crave for competent management of the economy and public services.

So the bigger picture should be the opportunity of the settlement while the goodwill of much of the world is warming our small country.

Taking advantage of the new realities - rather than perpetually whinging - will determine the future for both NI’s individual political parties and ultimately the whole island.

Sinn Fein is seizing the moment with the immediate objective of taking full credit for the Good Friday Agreement with the 25th anniversary just weeks away. Michelle O’Neill speaks brightly about her pride in Northern Ireland’s transformation and the unique opportunity of the settlement to be a trading partner of both Europe - and the UK. With such an outbreak of sweetness it seems silly for SInn Fein to still ban its seven MPs from sitting at Westminster.

Nevertheless, and again, it is foot-dragging unionism that is in danger of losing the battle for hearts and minds. The Good Friday anniversary is not going to wait and unionism must claim its rightful place in the celebration - after all if it had not been for the courage and sacrifice of one of their own, David Trimble, there would not have been a deal in 1998.

Such is the reality that the DUP must face. Northern Ireland is no longer the same as other parts of the UK and no amount of due diligence will change that.

Unionists may bristle at the line of Aer Lingus jets at Belfast George Best Airport and some may even be grudging that the Euro is common currency in Newry, along with any Brussels handouts that help the local economy regardless of a line on the map.

The days of constitutional certainty are long past. But so, too, are the days of violent revolution to change the status quo.

This is what unionists must contemplate in the next days, not just the minutiae of the Windsor framework.

The new reality is that unionists and nationalists alike will be judged on how well, or not, they contribute to a Northern Ireland that has been bestowed with unique qualities and characteristics and now with fresh potential to better all citizens.

The new reality is exclusivity for NI economically and culturally as part of the UK, part of Ireland, part of Europe.

The new reality for NI political parties is that this place can only prosper if they respect - nurture even - the aspirations of their historic rivals.

Unionists must allow the flame of Irish Unity to burn and nationalists must protect the Britishness of NI and all of its Protestant and Orange traditions.

The best way of doing this is to celebrate the Good Friday anniversary by a united commitment to investigate and remember the past, the rights and the wrongs, as part of an invigorated peace and reconciliation process.

The historic political rivalries should then be put to good use in competing to be the best in the ministerial stakes at Stormont.

As the DUP struggles with embracing the Windsor framework it should comfort itself that an increasing number of people identify solely with Northern Ireland even though they may carry an Irish or a British passport, increasingly both.

The finer points of the settlement count not a jot - these will not shatter the status quo.

An Irish unity poll is long off and way down the priorities for the majority of NI voters.

Meanwhile, NI should waste no time exploiting its unique place in Ireland, the UK and Europe - in the world, in fact - and that means the resumption of devolved Government.

If they turn their minds to this our politicans - like many northern Irish in other professions - will once again demonstrate that NI punches above its weight.