Parading, policing and power sharing collide amid Drumcree dispute
Political tensions in Northern Ireland have escalated due to the resurgence of the Drumcree parade dispute. The DUP and Sinn Féin are clashing in the assembly, threatening the stability of the power-sharing government.
Why it matters
The dispute threatens to destabilize the fragile power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland, echoing historical sectarian conflicts.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Orangemen were blocked by police outside Drumcree church on Sunday
Political correspondent, BBC News NI Published 28 September 2026 Politics in Northern Ireland is often accused of going nowhere fast but right now it more resembles a time warp taking us back three decades.
Divisions that had been dormant over Drumcree flowed angrily again between the parties over the weekend, spilling over into Monday when MLAs returned to the chamber.
Less than 24 hours after the secretary of state called on Stormont's leaders to "double down on compromise", what unfolded in the assembly was all double down, no compromise.
Tempers and emotions flared - despite a warning from the Speaker, Edwin Poots, to mind their manners - amid shouting across the packed benches.
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