One of Northern Ireland’s best-known political journalists has said progress can only be made by taking risks.
Former UTV political editor Ken Reid and BBC Northern Ireland political editor Stephen Grimmason spoke after receiving awards for their services to journalism from Queen’s University Belfast.
The pair, who covered some of the unrest’s worst atrocities before documenting the peace process, were awarded the Prime Minister’s Medal at a special ceremony on Thursday night.
This comes as the Stormont parliament remains collapsed almost two years on, with the DUP refusing to join until its members’ concerns about post-Brexit trade deals are addressed by the UK government.
Speculation has grown in recent days that Sir Geoffrey Donaldson’s party is inching closer to a deal with the government that could pave the way for the resumption of devolved government in Northern Ireland.
Mr Reid said: “There is no progress in Northern Ireland unless you take risks. I think that’s the lesson[of the peace process]and people are putting safety first, and I think that’s the problem.” Stated.
“People are going to have to take risks again. It took 18 months for Parliament to come into office. Since then Parliament has become completely weak, so to overcome that we have to force people to take risks. We need to rethink the way Congress operates, or we’re going to have problems. Danger.”
Mr Grimmason added: “Leadership is a solitary command and the tides of Northern Ireland politics come and go. If you’re not careful, if you don’t lead you can be left on the beach and that’s what Jeffrey is currently facing. I think this is a problem.”
“It’s very frustrating to see things slip away if they don’t try and take a risk and get back into it,” Reed said.
Mr Grimason, from Lurgan, Co. Armagh, and Mr Reid, from Belfast, first met when they were both young journalists working for former newspaper Belfast News.
They went on to work as colleagues at the newsletter before becoming rivals as political correspondents for UTV and BBC Northern Ireland.
Mr Grimason then worked as Director of Communications in the Stormont Government.
He called leaving journalism “a little bit messy,” but said he “went to a very dramatic executive table.”
Both men have recently spoken out about their fight against cancer, receiving congratulations from former Prime Minister Tony Blair, among others.
In an interview with the PA news agency, Mr Reid recalled covering atrocities including an IRA bomb attack in Narrowwater, County Down, in 1979 that killed 18 soldiers.
“I remember walking out there and smelling the smell of death. Then we also experienced sectarian killings, but then we were able to experience the political process that turned into the peace process and the development of the Good Friday Agreement. , I was very happy,” he said. Reid said.
Mr Grimason added: “Ken and I had the best experience. We were there for all the really important moments, but we also saw the beginning of the end in terms of the Good Friday Agreement.
“We saw many horrific scenes, such as Ormeau Road and the bookseller murders in Teabane. I was the first reporter for Teabane. In the end, the great success of the peace process was I believe that peace, or rather an imperfect version of it, actually prevailed.”