It Must be Marching Season

[Armagh18]

Read this article this morning from Sam McBride in the Belfast Telegraph - fairly start the dereliction of duty of our politicians in the last 10/15 years.

Not that it's new to any of us. Those waiting list figures are fairly eye watering.

Fixing our crippled NHS is a life-and-death issue, yet politicians pay it lip service and then make a beeline for Drumcree

Sam McBride 25 October 2026


A decade ago, a senior Stormont figure issued a grim warning about the crisis faced by Northern Ireland's health system.

It was "at breaking point" and without change it would in 10 years be consuming 90pc of the devolved budget without delivering better outcomes.

That message came from the then health minister, Michelle O'Neill. She promised to lead sweeping reforms. She said these would take 10 years to fully implement and promised to update the Assembly every six months.

She never did. Instead, her party walked out of government three months later. Covid followed, as did a DUP-led government collapse. Today, she is first minister.

Plenty of southerners look at the NHS with envy. The ethos of Sláintecare is about moving the sprawling Irish system closer to the UK model.

Yet while the concept of the NHS is majestically egalitarian, the way it works in Northern Ireland is increasingly a warning to others.

Despite knowing that health reform is a life-and-death issue, most politicians have given in to populism. They know their constituents stand a better chance of survival if some services are moved out of small local hospitals into larger specialist centres.

But this is unpopular, so politicians will campaign to save this or that service, in contradiction of the reforms to which they pledged themselves.

Politicians claim to be working urgently to fix health, but the recent Drumcree parade dispute shows what real urgency looks like: Sinn Féin ministers dropping everything to stand in pouring rain on a road in defiance of a court order because they believe it's the right thing to do. There has simply never been anything approaching this level of urgency over the health crisis.

O'Neill's warning followed a seminal report by Rafael Bengoa, a Spanish health policy expert. For decades, Stormont had commissioned many such reports, which recommended something very similar: fewer small hospitals and more centres of excellence.

Professor Bengoa warned of looming collapse, telling Stormont: "The stark options facing the health and social care system are either to resist change and see services deteriorate to the point of collapse over time, or to embrace transformation and work to create a modern, sustainable service..."

Every party signed up to his vision, yet most of this hasn't been implemented. The Alliance Party is the only one to have mostly stood in defence of centralising services.

Politicians have long known the gravity of what is involved. A decade ago, the then first minister Arlene Foster said: "We either try and manage the change or we manage the chaos that would come if we didn't tackle the huge issues that there are."

The then deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, said at that time: "Change has to happen and the only question is whether it will happen in a controlled, planned fashion or unfold out of control. There is only one responsible choice to make."

Stormont has not just crumbled to populist arguments, but has also failed to prepare strategically for what it claims to want.

If someone in Fermanagh or south Down is being told they have a better chance of surviving by getting to a centre of excellence further away, then the roads need to be improved and the ambulance service beefed up.

Instead, both have got worse. Who can blame those in isolated rural communities for being sceptical about the claims being made by politicians in Belfast, whose residents have a plethora of hospitals?

The outcome is grim. Some services are now collapsing. Some unplanned change is precipitated by medics refusing to work where they cannot treat sufficient patients to maintain their professional qualifications, or where they believe the service is unsafe.

Vast sums have been paid to temporary staff to prop up a system Stormont admitted a decade ago was unsustainable. Now even that isn't working.

When Prof Bengoa delivered his report, 226,000 people were waiting for outpatient treatment; that figure has more than doubled to 527,000. And back then about 100,000 people were waiting for diagnostic tests; that figure has also more than doubled.

Many of these people are waiting in agony. When referred for urgent cancer treatment, 95pc of patients should begin treatment within 62 days. A decade ago, 67pc did so; now just 28pc do.

Southerners live on average more than two-and-a-half years longer than northerners. This is incredible, given that we live remarkably similar lifestyles.

Health is not the only factor — education and prosperity are also significant — but it is impossible to believe that an inferior health system could keep people alive that much longer.

A decade ago, O'Neill said: "If we persist with our current models of care... waiting lists will continue to grow, our expertise will continue to be diluted, and the best possible outcomes for patients will not be realised. This is both unsustainable and unacceptable."

It turns out that, for Stormont, this has been both sustainable and acceptable.

Well-paid politicians and senior civil servants will be able to afford private treatment if they so choose. For someone in poverty, they are stuck with a system that in theory treats them for free, but in practice can't do so for years. That is a grotesque inequality.

Clearly demonstrates the incompetency of our politicians and their inability to prioritise what is really important.

There'a plenty to criticise the Shinners on but not on their response round Girvaghy. Been top notch.

Nowhere near a top priority though.

Not to get into a comparision with other stuff but it absolutely was of vital importance. If they'd shite the bed I'd definitely have never voted for them again. 

[imtommygunn]

Sf are trying to get the marching bands funding cuts. I think it's 120k or something of funds. The gloves are off it would appear.

[DaleCooper]

Sf are trying to get the marching bands funding cuts. I think it's 120k or something of funds. The gloves are off it would appear.

Why wasnt it done before? Why are bonfires still being allowed ?

So on and so forth.

[Armagh18]

Sf are trying to get the marching bands funding cuts. I think it's 120k or something of funds. The gloves are off it would appear.

fair play. About time.

And time those black bastards were stopped having their illegal bonfires.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

And any mps, mlas etc attending any of those illegal bonfires needs to be contacted by the PSNI. Sick of the likes of Burrows going on about law breakers and the need for action and then does f**k all and says nothing about the annual hate fest.

[Snapchap]

A fairly typical Sam McBride piece whereby in the headline, "politicians" are broad-brush accused of "making a beeline for Drumcree" and of failing the health service, but then the agenda comes spewing out thereafter.

Read whole article and the only party he actually singles out for involving themselves in the Drumcree dispute is Sinn Féin (not a peep of criticism for those who actually re-ignited the dispute) and the only current politican he criticises over the health service is, you guessed it, Unionism's chief target Michelle O'Neill.

He's just another little Ben Lowry.

(p.s. I say all that not out of love for SF. I'm someone who has not supported them since they sat in the White House drinking champagne with Joe Biden while he was actively co-managing a genocide in Gaza).

[tbrick18]

Read this article this morning from Sam McBride in the Belfast Telegraph - fairly start the dereliction of duty of our politicians in the last 10/15 years.

Not that it's new to any of us. Those waiting list figures are fairly eye watering.

Fixing our crippled NHS is a life-and-death issue, yet politicians pay it lip service and then make a beeline for Drumcree

Sam McBride 25 October 2026


A decade ago, a senior Stormont figure issued a grim warning about the crisis faced by Northern Ireland's health system.

It was "at breaking point" and without change it would in 10 years be consuming 90pc of the devolved budget without delivering better outcomes.

That message came from the then health minister, Michelle O'Neill. She promised to lead sweeping reforms. She said these would take 10 years to fully implement and promised to update the Assembly every six months.

She never did. Instead, her party walked out of government three months later. Covid followed, as did a DUP-led government collapse. Today, she is first minister.

Plenty of southerners look at the NHS with envy. The ethos of Sláintecare is about moving the sprawling Irish system closer to the UK model.

Yet while the concept of the NHS is majestically egalitarian, the way it works in Northern Ireland is increasingly a warning to others.

Despite knowing that health reform is a life-and-death issue, most politicians have given in to populism. They know their constituents stand a better chance of survival if some services are moved out of small local hospitals into larger specialist centres.

But this is unpopular, so politicians will campaign to save this or that service, in contradiction of the reforms to which they pledged themselves.

Politicians claim to be working urgently to fix health, but the recent Drumcree parade dispute shows what real urgency looks like: Sinn Féin ministers dropping everything to stand in pouring rain on a road in defiance of a court order because they believe it's the right thing to do. There has simply never been anything approaching this level of urgency over the health crisis.

O'Neill's warning followed a seminal report by Rafael Bengoa, a Spanish health policy expert. For decades, Stormont had commissioned many such reports, which recommended something very similar: fewer small hospitals and more centres of excellence.

Professor Bengoa warned of looming collapse, telling Stormont: "The stark options facing the health and social care system are either to resist change and see services deteriorate to the point of collapse over time, or to embrace transformation and work to create a modern, sustainable service..."

Every party signed up to his vision, yet most of this hasn't been implemented. The Alliance Party is the only one to have mostly stood in defence of centralising services.

Politicians have long known the gravity of what is involved. A decade ago, the then first minister Arlene Foster said: "We either try and manage the change or we manage the chaos that would come if we didn't tackle the huge issues that there are."

The then deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, said at that time: "Change has to happen and the only question is whether it will happen in a controlled, planned fashion or unfold out of control. There is only one responsible choice to make."

Stormont has not just crumbled to populist arguments, but has also failed to prepare strategically for what it claims to want.

If someone in Fermanagh or south Down is being told they have a better chance of surviving by getting to a centre of excellence further away, then the roads need to be improved and the ambulance service beefed up.

Instead, both have got worse. Who can blame those in isolated rural communities for being sceptical about the claims being made by politicians in Belfast, whose residents have a plethora of hospitals?

The outcome is grim. Some services are now collapsing. Some unplanned change is precipitated by medics refusing to work where they cannot treat sufficient patients to maintain their professional qualifications, or where they believe the service is unsafe.

Vast sums have been paid to temporary staff to prop up a system Stormont admitted a decade ago was unsustainable. Now even that isn't working.

When Prof Bengoa delivered his report, 226,000 people were waiting for outpatient treatment; that figure has more than doubled to 527,000. And back then about 100,000 people were waiting for diagnostic tests; that figure has also more than doubled.

Many of these people are waiting in agony. When referred for urgent cancer treatment, 95pc of patients should begin treatment within 62 days. A decade ago, 67pc did so; now just 28pc do.

Southerners live on average more than two-and-a-half years longer than northerners. This is incredible, given that we live remarkably similar lifestyles.

Health is not the only factor — education and prosperity are also significant — but it is impossible to believe that an inferior health system could keep people alive that much longer.

A decade ago, O'Neill said: "If we persist with our current models of care... waiting lists will continue to grow, our expertise will continue to be diluted, and the best possible outcomes for patients will not be realised. This is both unsustainable and unacceptable."

It turns out that, for Stormont, this has been both sustainable and acceptable.

Well-paid politicians and senior civil servants will be able to afford private treatment if they so choose. For someone in poverty, they are stuck with a system that in theory treats them for free, but in practice can't do so for years. That is a grotesque inequality.

Clearly demonstrates the incompetency of our politicians and their inability to prioritise what is really important.

There'a plenty to criticise the Shinners on but not on their response round Girvaghy. Been top notch.

Nowhere near a top priority though.

Not to get into a comparision with other stuff but it absolutely was of vital importance. If they'd shite the bed I'd definitely have never voted for them again. 

As much as I agree about the absolute dereliction of duty and lack of political will to do the right thing with health, McBride comparing it with Drumcree is just point scoring.
Politicians are going to do what they think will win votes - on all sides. Rightly or wrongly, the short term vote winning strategy was and probably still is not to close local services in favour of centralised hubs of excellence.
Who among the politicians on any party, would make the decision to change that? None of them are brave enough I feel.

BUT - the Sinn Fein/SDLP/PBP approach in Drumcree was 100% bang on the money.

Give credit where it's due. Criticise when appropriate. But the whataboutery gets nowhere.

[Rossfan]

The nihilist unionists want to pull down Stormont presumably because they can't take the demographic led sight of a "Taig" First Minister.
The DUP, who no doubt can't abide with it either, obviously want to keep Stormont and its perks.
Also they no doubt know if Stormont goes it will be permanent.
They also know that means London rule with Dublin input.

[JPGJOHNNYG]

Sam MC Bride used to be ok but in the last few months his mask has slipped big time. The nationalist politicians response to Drumcree was of course 100% correct. If any of the parties didn't show solidarity they would be hammered at the polls. I expect alliance to take a big hit from pale green voters. I think the media in general completely underestimated the anger reigniting Drumcree has caused even among the most moderate of nationalists.

[marty34]

The key question is what does Robinson and the DUP do now?

Lockhart etc. is forcing them into a corner. It looks as if she wants to force the DUP's hand first, before she commits herself to moving to become and independent MP.

[Walter Cronc]

Lower Ormeau residents have applied for 1500 person demo next week. Hopefully sense prevails on this one 

[Armagh18]

The key question is what does Robinson and the DUP do now?

Lockhart etc. is forcing them into a corner. It looks as if she wants to force the DUP's hand first, before she commits herself to moving to become and independent MP.

Think Rossfan is right, the DUP want to keep Stormont going as they know it collapsing is another sign this place doesn't work and another step towards a border poll. Election in May anyway where Michelle or another Shinner will likely be First Minister again

Do you reckon Lockhart will go independent or join the TUV?

[imtommygunn]

I don't understand why unionism would want to collapse stormont. If stormont doesn't work then it is a massive own goal for them.

The only reason I can see is bitterness and spite. It collapsed then what do they do.

Serious questions for me on unionism.... What positive things are they doing. All I see is denying nationalism. Hardly a positive sustainable strategy. (Always been that way might I add)

[marty34]

I don't understand why unionism would want to collapse stormont. If stormont doesn't work then it is a massive own goal for them.

The only reason I can see is bitterness and spite. It collapsed then what do they do.

Serious questions for me on unionism.... What positive things are they doing. All I see is denying nationalism. Hardly a positive sustainable strategy. (Always been that way might I add)

It's the raison d'être for unionism.


Place was deliberately build on a sectarian headcount. How things have changed over the last 20 years. And in the next five years, it'll change moreso.


The reopening up of Garvaghy Road was silly and stupid. And it has created a serious mess for all brands of unionism.   

[marty34]

The key question is what does Robinson and the DUP do now?

Lockhart etc. is forcing them into a corner. It looks as if she wants to force the DUP's hand first, before she commits herself to moving to become and independent MP.

Think Rossfan is right, the DUP want to keep Stormont going as they know it collapsing is another sign this place doesn't work and another step towards a border poll. Election in May anyway where Michelle or another Shinner will likely be First Minister again

Do you reckon Lockhart will go independent or join the TUV?

I'd say she'll go independent first and then move to the TUV.


But she's putting a lot of pressure on the DUP this past few weeks. Calling them out and then resigning as a party officer. Then the gathering of the faithful in Portadown on Saturday night.


But it's a game of time for her. All she has left is going independent. Then what? Her bargaining power is gone so she's sitting tight putting the pressure on the DUP to drop O'Neill.


How much time has she got?