The immediate large-scale reform of the police force made Northern Ireland a fairer and safer place for Catholics, along with equal representation for Protestants and Catholics. The dismantling of unionist arms in 2001 and the IRA's decommissioning of their weapons has removed the constant threat of violence, although splinter groups still remain, this has removed the almost constant violence seen before. And although extremist parties hold a large share of seats in parliament, this perhaps reflects the fact that they are now less extremist and more reasonable as political parties. The turbulence experienced in the early stages of the Assembly did not stop the English from giving it a second chance and, after a long period of suspension, it was reinstated in May 2007, a great success for the English, as it shows that Northern Ireland is stable enough to control itself without constant supervision from