Sterling's Reflections: Navigating NI's Political Storms

0:00On March 29, Sir David Sterling, former head of Northern Ireland's Civil Service from 2017 to 2020, just shared his. Reflections on decades steering the ship through political storms. Growing up in Dundanold, he joined in the late 1970s amid the troubles, climbing ranks in the police authority in Northern Ireland, office during direct rule eras. Earlier this week, Sterling recalled the raw optimism of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, choking back tears at the promise of real. Change. He worked under leaders like Mark Durkin in the first power-sharing executive with UUP, S-D-L-P, Sin-Fain, and D-U-P, calling those heady days busy and, cooperative behind closed doors, despite public spats. Behind the scenes, mutual respect bridged, divides between figures like Durkin, Peter Robinson, and Nigel Dodds, getting real work done that rarely. Made headlines. Collapses hit hard, like in 2002, but Sterling adapted, pushing big reforms like water charges, nearly sending out the first bills before.

1:05Devolution returned in 2007 and scrapped it. Fast forward, he led through the 2017 executive crash over Brexit tensions and a three-year minister less void. Even handling early, COVID splits on school closures. Today, he warns of a massive budget crunch, with overspends up to a billion pounds unless Treasury steps up amid aging populations and service. Demands. Sterling's clear, devolution with local ministers charting our path, beats direct rule every time. But parties got a step up fast or face huge fallout.