An Assembly election will not resolve the current situation. It will only further polarise the community with both Sinn Fein and the DUP mounting yet another divisive, sectarian and diversionary campaign.

There should, of course, be an immediate restoration of devolution, the election of a Speaker and First and Deputy First Ministers, and the return of a fully functioning Executive.

In its chequered twenty year ‘on/off’ history the Assembly has been responsible for very little social, economic or political progress. But, the importance of a devolved administration is that it allows the major parties to be scrutinised and held to account, and, in progressive hands holds out the possibility of at least alleviating some of the hardships currently being experienced.

Neither a continued boycotting of the Executive, nor spending £6 million on an unnecessary election will do either.

The priorities for working people are the the cost of living, austerity, cuts to services and benefits, lack of child care, low paid, part time, precarious employment, housing shortages and rapidly rising heating bills. What this election will guarantee is that all the major parties will happily side line those concerns in favour of sterile sectarian power struggles.