Seemingly for years now, business leaders in Northern Ireland have been encouraging and cajoling our politicians to get the deal done once and for all. At various times the CBI, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses and Chambers of Commerce, among others, have all highlighted the pressing need for political progress.
The business media has made similar noises and sectoral leaders such as the Ulster Farmers' Union have emphasised the benefits of having locally accountable devolved government. All to little avail.
The latest addition to the chorus was a hard-hitting speech last week from local Institute of Directors (IoD) boss Frank Bryan.
In an address to the IoD annual dinner, he said: "If our political leaders are looking for the key to a better future, let me offer this simple analysis – it's the economy, stupid. It is time – indeed past time – for you to get down to business."
Mr Bryan added that stable political institutions were a prerequisite to Northern Ireland competing for investment and in new world markets. He is undoubtedly right. While the political impasse continues, the world is passing us by.
Northern Ireland is now facing its 10th election in 10 years. Despite the undoubted progress made over the last nine years (yes, it's nine years since the agreement!) we are going in to a fresh election not certain that a government will be formed after the votes are counted.
This is simply not acceptable. Not any longer. It is surely time for business – and if there is such a thing as a business vote – to make it clear that immediate progress is expected.
Of course, in the past, leaders of the business representative groups have always, diplomatically, stopped short of picking out particular parties or politicians for criticism. Such people have preferred to address their admonitions to politicians in general.
While this is an admirable approach generally, this coming election is genuinely different.
Everyone now knows the deal that is there to be done, yet there is one political party, our largest party, still refusing to commit to devolved government after the election.
The DUP is running on the slogan "getting it right" – effectively seeking support for a strategy of delaying the process further.
But we can't afford to waste any more years "getting it right" when so much around us is going wrong.
Direct Rule ministers and their civil servants are no substitute for locally accountable full-timers who have a sense of urgency about business and the economy. The evidence of this is everywhere.
Here's an example of direct rule drift: The high-powered Economic Development Forum which advises Maria Eagle has an 'enterprise' sub-group. The civil-servant dominated committee has drifted into spending much of its time discussing tourism marketing as opposed to delivering the 'enterprise' part of the Economic Vision.
So much so that it has recently decided to review itself to see what value it has – even to exist anymore!
So local ministers are certainly needed: DUP figures like Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds and Jeffrey Donaldson have got what it takes to be successful ministers but right now their party is the reason we have no certainty or stability in the political system.
And it is certainty and stability that business people want most from politicians and government. Yes, there are significant business issues like industrial derating and corporation tax – but by far the most important thing is a stable business environment with durable and reliable political institutions.
Since there are no huge differences between the political parties on economic policy or business in any case, then the key differentiator for the business voter must be the parties' ability to deliver certainty and stability.
This leaves an opportunity for the former parties of government, the UUP and SDLP. Their earlier union was dogged by the decommissioning issue and although the electorate punished them for the lack of progress, they haven't gone away.
With decommissioning sorted and their main opponents showing little sign of being ready to work together, the UUP and SDLP, if they could get their electoral noses in front again, can genuinely claim to offer the prospect of stable government.
So why don't they come out and say it? Instead of fighting the election in the confines of their two separate tribal battles, why don't the two parties get together and offer the electorate a contract for four years of stable government? Guaranteed. Regardless of what others do.
The two parties should be capable of nailing down an unambiguous four-year programme for government while respecting, instead of fighting, over their separate traditions. Why not present a summary programme before the election?
While they are at it they should instruct their supporters to transfer to each other under the proportional representation voting system. This could secure vital marginal seats for each party.
People in business who have called for stable government should show a readiness to encourage such a development.
It's time for a bit of vision and for recapturing some of the hope of the Good Friday Agreement which, let's not forget, 72 per cent of people voted for.
Thousands of citizens in business and other sectors desperately want certainty and stability. They should have the chance to vote for it.
