Letter: Replacing orange with green

Sir: David McKittrick's analysis of the post-election politics in Northern Ireland ("Northern Ireland changes colour", 28 May) reveals the replacement of an orange hegemony by a green one. There is no new political landscape in view, only an inversion of the old one.

One can predict failure for the present talks because, even in the event of an unequivocal IRA ceasefire it is not in the interests of the Unionists to set in motion a regional assembly which will be increasingly dominated by nationalists more "ambitious and energetic than ever" - Stormont with the boot on the other foot. The only faint chance of success would be if mainstream British political parties started to organise in the region, drawing supporters from both traditions and thus helping to dissolve the intransigent ethno-religious blocs. Why is "inclusive" new Labour so silent about this possibilty?

SIMON PARTRIDGE

London N2