Immediate and large-scale reform of the police force made Northern Ireland a fairer and safer place for Catholics, with equal representation for Protestants and Catholics. The decommissioning of Unionist weapons in 2001 and the decommissioning of their weapons by the IRA removed the constant threat of violence, although splinter groups remain, this has removed the near constant violence previously seen. And if 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 seen at the start of the Assembly did not deter the British from giving it a second chance, and after a long period of suspension it was reinstated in May 2007, a major success for the British, as it showed that Northern Ireland is stable enough to control itself without constant surveillance from