The woman currently propping up Prime Minister Theresa May’s government is entirely free and entitled to attend, address or even lead an Orange Order parade in Fife at the end of this month.
But it’s fair to say DUP leader Arlene Foster’s presence at the Boyne march in Cowdenbeath on June 30 has cranked up tensions ahead of what is always seen as a controversial event.
Orange walks always happen in Fife during marching season and they normally go off without much confrontation.
However, Ms Foster’s arrival in central Fife will undoubtedly result in a spotlight being shone on this parade and has the potential to ramp up the likelihood of confrontation.
You don’t have to be a fan of the Orange Order to realise they have a right to march. It’s a free country and they are entitled to peacefully hold their own cultural celebration.
Equally, opponents cannot be prevented from lining the streets to make their own views clear, within the bounds of the law.
It means security will have to be strengthened, police patrols will be stepped up and it has the potential to build into something nobody wants to see.
I hope I’m proved wrong, of course, and messages coming from the DUP this week that Ms Foster will use the visit to emphasise the need for a shared society are encouraging.
“There is no place in 2018 for sectarianism or prejudice against any section of our community – that includes the Orange Order,” Ms Foster is quoted as saying.
That’s all well and good, but this is a time of heightened political tensions, into which the DUP has been thrust as a genuine power-player.
Scottish independence has been placed firmly on the agenda for debate thanks to the publication of the Growth Commission.
The issue sectarianism continues to bubble under, surfacing in Fife sporadically with scenes of recent, shameful, bigotry-fuelled vandalism.
The DUP’s views on gay rights and abortion run contrary to what have become the norm and attract massive opposition.
I fear this particular parade will be more powder keg than positive.
