“Perhaps if we got back to some of that foundational work of building a proper relationship and recognising what partnership actually means, then we can get out of the mess that we are currently in.”

In light of our current political crisis, Ian Paisley Jnr’s words on Thursday’s BBC The View programme were jaw-dropping. Paisley was publicly paying tribute to outgoing deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, acknowledging his journey from IRA commander to statesman.

The tone of the interview contrasted starkly with the previous week’s episode; a debate between Sinn Féin and DUP ministers Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Paul Givan mirrored the rivalry between the Houses of Capulet and Montague in Romeo and Juliet.

The tense body language and harsh rhetoric on display last week encapsulated the political stalemate we currently face.

So, why the sudden turn around from one week to the next?

Here are three possibilities:

  • This was a very genuine and heart felt ‘thank you’ from the Paisley family to the McGuinness family. ‘The chuckle brothers’ were more than partners in government; they developed a deep friendship. Ian Paisley Jnr spoke of reconciliation, accommodation and demonstrated the ‘parity of esteem’ Martin McGuinness claims has been disregarded by one side of the Executive.
  • As we hurtle towards an election which Sinn Féin claims has come about through DUP arrogance, could Paisley Jnr’s words cleverly shift the political narrative from fall-out to statesmanship?
  • These words provide could insight into what commentators have long cited as wings or schools of thought within the DUP; those more associated with its founder, the late Ian Paisley, and others with current leader and outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster.

Following Thursday night’s interview, the more sceptical observers have said that what we were witnessing was an attempt at a leadership pitch by Ian Paisley Jnr, whose commentary was able to explicitly lay blame at his party’s current leadership without mentioning names. Mr Paisley Jnr has denied this.

According to commentator Professor Deirdre Heenan, what Mr Paisley Junior did was not to stab his party leader in the back but instead “knifed her in the front.”

Whether his remarks were grace-filled words from the heart, politically advantageous, or both, this sentiment is to be welcomed.

No matter what the outcome the upcoming election holds, our institutions desperately need to work.