Political Crisis Deepens in Northern Ireland as Government Remains Collapsed, Mass Strikes Held over Austerity Fears
• Northern Ireland government collapsed in 2022, austerity measures began, fresh elections set to be canceled, tens of thousands of workers going on strike • DUP party refuses to cooperate with Sinn Féin to revive power-sharing government despite Sinn Féin becoming most popular party in 2022 election • UK government refuses to resume direct rule from London to fill political vacuum • Public services withering due to lack of government and ability for civil servants to make spending/cost-cutting decisions • Unions staged first coordinated mass strike in 50 years with 170,000 workers demanding long-withheld pay raises, threaten to continue striking until demands met