The people of Northern Ireland are waking up today to yet more revelations about the Cash for Ash scandal, as they have done every day this week. And as this scandal rumbles on, as the calls come into the Nolan show, as the people on the street talk, it’s clear that the people of Northern Ireland are furious – not just at the poorly designed scheme that has cost us £485million, but at the angry way in which the DUP has sought to defend itself.

This is a golden opportunity for opposition parties and for the UUP and SDLP in particular. This is a chance for them to present themselves as a credible alternative government and gain support across the country. Yet, to date, they appear to be struggling to gain traction.

This is not helped by the way in which Jim Allister, Colum Eastwood and Mike Nesbitt have appeared willing to spend entire mornings hanging out on the Stephen Nolan Show. Granted, it’s important for party leaders to appear on the show and respond to the latest news, but the duration of their involvement gives the appearance that MLAs have nothing better to do than listen to a BBC journalist drip-feed them the latest scandalous details whilst they express their indignation.

Well, indignation just won’t cut it. If the UUP, SDLP, Alliance and others spend the next four years being shocked, surprised and indignant then they’ll spend the following five years in opposition once again. The people of Northern Ireland don’t need them to be upset or angry, they need them to show some leadership and start giving the appearance of a government in waiting.

The key to this is for the opposition parties to highlight and critique the weaknesses of the current government – namely their inability to manage public funds, their reliance on overpaid Special Advisors and their penchant for secrecy – but then to move on and explain precisely what they would do differently. This could be done in town halls or fancy meeting rooms, but why shouldn’t Mike or Colum emulate Jim Murphy in Scotland’s independence referendum and get out there and talk to the people directly?

In offering this alternative, it’s important that the opposition is seen to act constructively. Of course investigations need to be held but with the information they already have, why shouldn’t the SDLP, UUP or Alliance propose reforms to the way in which Stormont works? Put legislation down that increases transparency, limits the pay and power of SpAds and which makes it easier for financial errors of this sort to come to light? Why not act to strengthen the oversight of committees? They should lay this legislation before the Assembly as soon as possible and dare the Executive parties to vote it down. Whether it passes or not, this legislation can then become the centrepiece of a campaign for better politics.

But the vital work of forming a government in waiting doesn’t end there. The next assembly elections are in 2021 but the foundations of the 2021 campaign need to be laid today. This weekend the UUP, SDLP and Alliance need to hit the streets. They need to be visible and they need to be passionate. Rallies and protests may make politicians feel good but there really is no substitute for knocking on doors. This is a golden opportunity to begin recruiting voters, volunteers, members and potential new candidates. And ultimately, in a time of cynicism and concern, voters will remember the politician that called at their door out with the election cycle.

As part of this there has never been a better time for Northern Ireland’s opposition parties to embrace constituency surgeries. Where the Executive has come across as out of touch and out of depth, the opposition parties need to be seen to be engaged and active. Every SDLP, UUP, Alliance MLA should start holding weekly surgeries for local people – not just in their offices but in the community too. Why not hold a roving surgery at local supermarkets on a Saturday morning? Surgeries are not merely a great way to win votes, they’re the best way for politicians to learn about issues for themselves and to be seen as approachable – very important for any potential whistle-blowers out there.

In sum the opposition parties need to show that they are serious about being an alternative to the current Executive. They need to be constructive, they need to have alternative policies in place and they need to be active and visible within their communities. The Cash for Ash scandal is an opportunity for them to start building momentum and if nothing else that should frighten the Executive parties enough to govern better, which after all is what opposition is all about. But if they truly desire to govern, the hard work starts now.