If you are currently breathing Northern Irish air, congratulations and commiserations… you are residing in a record breaking corner of the world, well…nearly.

It is 589 days since the former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced his resignation which led to the collapse of devolved government and, in time, to the political stalemate in which we now linger. Meaning, at midnight on 28 August we will become the unenviable recipients of an unofficial accolade, surpassing Belgium as the country to go without a government for the longest period in a time of peace.

But hold your cheers for now as, it was announced earlier this month that Northern Ireland is “not eligible” to receive official recognition. A spokesperson for Guinness World Records stated:

“While the Northern Ireland Assembly has the power to make legislation relevant to the area, it is still limited with regard to certain powers and the Westminster parliament is technically still able to pass laws for any part of the UK, meaning that Northern Ireland still has a form of government in place.”

This judgement that Northern Ireland did not quite make the cut is emblematic of it’s curious double-bind of being a place both within and without. Accepted, yet set apart. An integral part of the United Kingdom that is also “particular” “unique” and possessive of the ability to choose otherwise if desired.

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Notwithstanding our ‘limited’ position and although ‘technically’ Northern Ireland still has ‘a form’ of government, the current outlook is pretty bleak.  As the list of negative consequences deriving from Stormont’s empty seats grows, the technical possibility of potential legislative action is not much consolation.

Northern Ireland’s economy is at risk of total stagnation. Its growth rate of just 1% in 2018, is expected to edge up to 1.1% in 2019, rendering it the poorest performing UK region. Slow economics are due in no small part to the abdication of political leadership. As the recent High Court ruling confirmed, agreed and proposed policies cannot be implemented without ministerial approval.

A system of redress for victims of historical institutional abuse is one particularly emotive example of initiatives currently paused. Along with what the Institute of Directors estimate would amount to over £1billion worth of infrastructural projects which would strengthen the economy by generating jobs and investment. Further, appointments to the Boards of such key civic bodies such as the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission, the Probation Board for Northern Ireland and the Policing Board designed to hold the PSNI to account all must await approval.

Existing plans to reform adult social care policy, to reshape stroke services in Northern Ireland and reconfigure hospital emergency departments are also now paused. While ending the 1 per cent pay rise limit for public servants in Northern Ireland, as has been done in Great Britain, cannot happen.

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There is a phrase in the Great Gatsby that is, on occasion, particularly apt to Northern Ireland. When Nick Carraway describes his sense of being “…within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life”, I am reminded of this small corner of the world.

I could quickly tell of the exquisite excellence of the people, places and features of this land, and have a fundamental faith in the possibility of its future flourishing, but, as we linger on in our not quite qualifying ‘limited’ status without government, I am also repelled by the inexhaustible willingness of elected representatives to avoid fulfilling the democratic mandate they were given.