Madam, - Until recently, I believed that paying our Northern MLAs while their Assembly remained suspended was unlikely to encourage them and their parties to move away from the comfort zone of endless sterile confrontation towards the less comfortable task of seeking to build consensus and agreement.
But after listening to MLAs describing how pressurised they are doing "constituency work" I am inclined to change my mind. Clearly, they're great value for taxpayers' money and, as an interim measure to ease their stress, perhaps their number could be doubled from 108 to 216. A fresh election would not be necessary as the Secretary of State could simply allow existing MLAs to appoint deputies.
Indeed, "doing constituency work" could be a wonderful economic growth area with endless opportunity for future job creation. As a sort of Keynesian solution to unemployment, in the longer term, all willing job-seekers could be appointed as MLAs. Again, no election would be required as applicants could simply be appointed in proportion to a rough sectarian head-count.
Little or no formal education is necessary. Virtually anyone could do "constituency work", particularly if they have support staff. - Yours, etc.,
NORMAN HAMILL, Derry.