Just as the government is using a thin facade of democratisation, with the election of a single police commissioner, to boost rightwing law-and-order politics, so it is using the language of devolution to further neuter local authorities.
Mr Dodds said the case was very serious, "not just for the process of law and order but for the very stability and continued existence of devolution in Northern Ireland".
Already another round of devolution is planned.
This attitude betrays a misunderstanding of devolution.
Moreover, the country has always enjoyed a measure of devolution.
A system of devolution exists but has not been implemented.
The first is the underlying deal of devolution for peace.
Canvassers of all parties report that devolution is barely mentioned on the doorsteps.Yet this underestimates the significance of devolution.
One of the little oddities of devolution, UK-style.
The issue gets to the heart of devolution.
I think we would move to some sort of devolution.
