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Water but no Hot Water

• Mark Devenport
• 10 May 07, 09:53 PM

Spent rather more time than I was bargaining for hanging around outside Stormont Castle this evening, waiting for the conclusion of the first meeting of the new power sharing executive. Eventually at about 7.20pm the ministers emerged to be driven away in their limos.

The first meeting is being described as focussed and workmanlike, concentrating as expected on water charges and the peace dividend. Asked by photographers to move his chair before the meeting started, Ian Paisley responded "not an inch".

Increasingly, though, the old DUP Sinn Fein concerns appear to be compartmentalised.

During the day Gerry Adams put out a statement paying tribute to Tony Blair which went on to express the hope that the next Prime Minister would be the last to administer British rule in Ireland. Even as the Executive was meeting, the DUP put out a statement in Ian Paisley's name accusing Mr Adams of "scaremongering" and telling the Sinn Fein President there would not be a United Ireland in his lifetime.

But when I raised this with the First Minister he brushed it aside, insisting such a ritualistic row would not have a negative impact on working relations within the new Executive. "We are what we said we are" he told me. "I am what I said I am. He (nodding to Martin McGuinness) said what he said he was. Sometimes we just don't take it up and you have to rub it in."

Later he admonished me for trying to get him "into hot water" when all he wanted to concentrate on was the kind of water that comes out of your taps.