Power and lift-sharing troubles at Stormont

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By Mark Simpson Ireland correspondent, BBC News It appears political tensions overspill into the lifts at Stormont

To understand the latest moves by Sinn Fein in the peace process, it may help to study the recent story about Gerry Adams and the Stormont lift.

Elected politicians may be sharing power at Stormont's Parliament buildings, but lift-sharing is much more problematic, according to the Sinn Fein president.

In his regular blog, Mr Adams wrote on Friday: "You wouldn't believe the number of times this blog has been alone in a lift at Parliament Buildings only for unionists to refuse to enter.

"Many a time this blog has been tempted to stay in the lift as it goes up and down several times just to see what would happen!"

If true, this is a revealing insight into just how abnormal relations still are between Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), more than 15 years into the peace process.

Mr Adams added: "Not every DUP'er behaves like this. In private many of them are relaxed and friendly. Maybe not great company in a pub but cordial nonetheless, pardon the pun."

It may be a faintly comical anecdote, but in many ways it seems to point up a more serious issue. If republicans and unionists really cannot go down three floors in a lift together, can they run Northern Ireland together?

Lack of trust

The DUP say Gerry Adams is exaggerating the personal problems, and that the real differences are on policy, with Sinn Fein simply being constantly intransigent.

They are accused of having an "our way, or no way" attitude.

David Cameron will not be party to any sectarian pact Conservative Party source

The reason that the future of the Stormont Assembly is in doubt is, on the face of it, a dispute over whether policing and justice powers should be transferred from London to Belfast. Sinn Fein say it must happen immediately; unionists say "not yet".

At the same time, the parties have fallen out over how best to deal with contentious parades and marches.

However, the overwhelming problem seems to be the lack of trust, the opposing ideologies and the absence of any rapport between most senior politicians in the DUP and Sinn Fein.

So can they now do an 11th-hour deal?

It looks less likely than it did a week ago, when the DUP seemed to believe that only a deal and the survival of Stormont could save them from an electoral backlash after the recent "Iris-gate" affair, involving the wife of their party leader, Peter Robinson.

Now the DUP appear less desperate for a deal, and not as fearful of a fresh Assembly election.

Big union

Instead, they appear to see their political parachute being a move towards unionist unity, and the forming of a new combined pro-union force with the Ulster Unionist Party.

This could thwart Sinn Fein's hopes of becoming the largest political party at the next Stormont election, and thus ruin Martin McGuinness's chances of becoming first minister.

Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson recently shook hands for the first time

What is more, a new unionist umbrella grouping would aim to pick up 12 seats at the forthcoming Westminster election. That would be quite a carrot to dangle in front of Conservative leader David Cameron in the event of a hung parliament.

If the Tories were in Downing Street by May, thanks to a little help from their pro-union friends, unionists might find political life a little easier.

Speculation about the Conservatives eventually having some link-up with a united unionist front has been rife since the shadow Secretary of State Owen Paterson hosted private talks with the Ulster Unionists and the DUP last weekend.

Peter Robinson headed the DUP delegation as they spent a day at one of England's most historic stately homes, Hatfield House, in Hertfordshire.

The Tories insisted afterwards a hung parliament was not mentioned. The meeting was to discuss the current problems at Stormont, they insisted.

Stairs or lift?

But what about an electoral pact?

A Conservative party source told BBC News Online: "David Cameron will not be party to any sectarian pact. We remain strongly committed to our electoral pact with the Ulster Unionists to bring, normal, non-sectarian, national politics to Northern Ireland.

"David Cameron will do nothing that undermines political stability or puts the peace process at risk."

The relationship between unionists and the Tories will be worth watching in the next three months. In the meantime, the political focus will be on last-ditch efforts to save the Stormont Assembly.

Attention will centre on the planned "make or break" meeting this week between Sinn Fein's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and the DUP's Peter Robinson.

In spite of all the bad blood between their parties, they recently shook hands for the first time.

A deal is unlikely, but it is not impossible.

Both men face a dilemma; whether it is better to work together and compromise, or go their separate ways.

It is a bit like a scene from the top floor of Parliament buildings - take the stairs or go down in the lift together?

It is now decision time.