The leader of Northern Ireland’s Social Democratic and Labour party, Colum Eastwood, last week said he was making his oath “under protest” and that his true allegiance was to the “people of Derry and the people of Ireland”.

His colleague Claire Hanna prefaced it in Irish and English when she was sworn in, saying: “In friendship and in hope of a reconciled new Ireland, my allegiance is to the people of Belfast South and Mid Down & I say these words in order to serve them.”

The Irish know what’s up.