Parades plan can't be ignored

This newspaper has consistently argued for the establishment of an inquiry into parading in north Belfast in a bid to resolve the issue once and for all. We suggested this approach after the Parades Commission, in its determination preventing Ligoniel Orangemen from marching past Ardoyne shops on July 12, said that a holistic appraisal of the issue was required, taking in the history of parading and community factors.

Secretary of State Theresa Villiers has gone a long way towards our original suggestion with her decision to appoint a panel to look into these contentious parades.

While all the details have yet to be fleshed out, it is an initiative that should be given a fair wind by all right-thinking people. As our poll published last week showed, the idea of an independent probe into parading in north Belfast was the most popular option among those interviewed.

Of course, no sooner had the panel announcement been made than the accusations began to fly. Sinn Fein accused Ms Villiers of succumbing to unionist pressure. The SDLP's Alban Maginness, at his most woeful, claimed this would undermine the Parades Commission, even though the genesis of the idea came from the commission, which also welcomed the move. Even the unionist parties, who wanted this type of inquiry, held back from congratulating the Secretary of State until the membership and terms of reference are made known.

There are no guarantees that the panel – due to report by the end of January – will be able to either broker agreement between the various factions or even point the way forward. But the current impasse is unsustainable. Policing the Twaddell protest camp, set up when the parade was banned on part of its route, has now cost £12m – money the police cannot afford to continue wasting.

All sides say they want an end to the dispute. Now the Secretary of State is putting those words to the test. At the same time, she wants the political parties to resume their wider discussions on parades, flags and the past. These are all issues which the politicians cannot continue to duck.

Belfast Telegraph