麻豆约拍

It seems the Foreign Secretary David Miliband has a "double" who works at Stormont. The Speaker's advisor Richard Good is forever being told that he looks just like Foreign Secretary (he does). In fact, he is growing a little weary of phone calls immediately after the news that start with "did you know...."

(Previous entry had described Mr Good as special advisor - when it should have been advisor.)

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The DUP's Gregory Campbell has apologised to the chairman of the Committee for Standards and Privileges for failng to register his positions as MLA and councillor in a timely fashion. He was late in registering his membership of the Northern Ireland assembly after both the 2001 and 2005 election, and his membership of Derry City Council after the 2005 poll.

The apology came after a probe by the Commissioner for Standards and Privileges Sir Philip Mawer in which Mr Campbell made several arguments, including that the person who made the initial complaint was wrong on the facts and therefore the complaint should be disposed of.

News of the MP's eventual mea culpa was contained in the report by the Standards committee. In the report Sir Philip notes in paragraph 27, Appendix One that had Mr Campbell been willing to acknowledge and apologise (for what the MP himself called an oversight) then he might have been able to deal with the issue under the rectification procedure. Such a procedures in certain circumstances means a formal report can be avoided.

Sir Philip continues: "Since Mr Campbell has failed to do either, I make this formal report to the Committee in order that it may take such action as it sees fit."

A meeting between the MP and the Committee's clerk helped clear up the matter as the MP apologised on July 18.

Another point that comes up in the report is Mr Campbell's concern that at one point the Commissioner rang the DUP Whip's office to ask Mr Campbell to make contact, even though the MP's letters to Sir Philip included his home address. Sir Philip in a letter to the Clerk of the committee explains that he had not been asked to communicate with the MP only through his home address - and in fact had addressed letters to the MP at the House of Commons. However at one point Sir Philip, needing to check progress of a reply from Mr Campbell, asked his PA to check the position with Mr Campbell's office. She duly rang Mr Campbell's office in the House but was diverted to the DUP Whips office. Sir Philip writes that this was "something of which she could not have been aware" and adds: "I can only express regret for any difficulty her entirely inadvertent contact with the staff of his party's Whip's office may have caused Mr Campbell."

Now what difficulty would that be?

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Conor Murphy is in Rathlin Island to survey the ferry service and to meet members of the Rathlin Island development association. It seems the islanders want special status similar to that bestowed on the Aran Islands. The event is being marked by a performance by Frances Black whose father hailed from Rathlin. Too bad nobody invited the television cameras to highlight this lovely story!

Anyway, the fact that the Private Office could not inform Mr Coulter (see above) of the minister's whereabouts for security reasons was down to protocol. It seems especially odd since members of Mr Coulter's party, and other unionists were invited to attend the event!

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The Regional Development minister Conor Murphy is in County Antrim today on a visit. How do I know this? Because Ulster Unionist Robert Coulter was informed by the DRD in an email that the minister would be in the member's North Antrim constituency. But that's all I can tell you. Because when Mr Coulter asked the department where the minister was and why, he was informed that for "security reasons" the department couldn't tell him.

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With Mark Devenport back on holiday, the Devenport Diaries have just become the Purdy Paragraphs (Mark's description). It feels like everyone is on holiday this week, what with the assembly in recess. But before departing the Assembly Commission (a cross party commission headed by the Speaker which is responsible for the Stormont estate) certainly got its priorities right. Food and fitness.

Firstly the minutes for June 21 show that the Reverend Robert Coulter, an Ulster Unionist member, had raised concerns about the standard of food provided by the current catering provider, Eurest. It was agreed that Eurest should be invited to an early meeting of the Commission to discuss service level issues. The assembly catering does provide quite a range of food, everything from a steaming Ulster Fries to steak to delicious cheesecake, and lest members indulge a little too much, the DUP's Stephen Moutray also raised the issue of a health and fitness suite for MLAs and staff. However Mr Moutray was informed that members were able to avail of the Northern Ireland Civil Service's current fitness facilities. (or, says I, they could follow the DUP's Iris Robinson's example of power-walking in her trainers up and down the Stormont hill.)

Also, the Commission was going to receive more information about on-site shower facilities.

No sign of spa then?

PS Eurest did meet the Commission and Mr Coulter, who raised the issue on behalf of some members, says there's been a great improvement in the catering.

PPS One of my colleagues from the newsroom who was up at Stormont back in June says she doesn't know what they're complaining about. She had a three course meal in the canteen and her verdict? It was delicious!

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When I heard David Ford on the Nolan show earlier in the week talking about what a good night out you could have in Glengormley, I didn't think we had much in common. The Alliance leader was defending Glengormley's honour against the jibes of a Jet2 advertising campaign, which also took a crack at Drains Bay. Not that I've got anything against Glengormley, but it's not my first choice for an evening's entertainment.

But then Nolan reported that Jet2 was also having a go at South Shields, in the North East of England, my father's birthplace and a very nice little seaside resort, if, shall we say, a bit bracing. Now this was getting personal. I started ruminating on setting up a Glengormley-Geordie Alliance.

So I invited the Alliance leader on to Inside Politics to indulge in an anti-Jet2 rant. Well that's a lie, actually. I thought of doing that but decided it was unethical as I had a specific Geordie dog in this fight.

Instead I stuck to asking him about alleged Executive junkets to Washington, the latest ructions in the UDA, the thoughts of Chairman Mel (Lucas, that is, his DUP dissident colleague on Antrim Council) and the general problem of being an opposition in a place where just about everyone else seems to be in government.

If you want to hear it the programme is on at a quarter to one on Saturday afternoon on Radio Ulster, and can be found thereafter on the web.

Next week this blog should be renamed the Purdy Paragraphs as Martina is once again sitting in for me as I take my summer leave in a suitably haphazard fashion. Apologies but normal service will be resumed in the autumn.

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I promised to report back on the impact of Gordon Brown's new unified border force closer to home. An NIO spokesperson tells me that the force will be on duty at airports and seaports in NI as well as GB. But so far as the 224 miles of the land border are concerned, the operational details appear far from clear at this stage. Mr Brown and Mr Ahern did, of course, discuss security at the recent British Irish Council meeting. But for any more details I am being referred to the 麻豆约拍 Office and the Treasury. I'm sure that in creating a "border force" the authorities can't have forgotten about the only actual land border they have. Can they? So we will plug away and get back to you if we get any more..

UPDATE: One of our team was just on the phone to the 麻豆约拍 Office. When asked about the border they described the force as a "basic proposal" with no whens, wheres and hows at the moment. So tomorrow, on the Letterkenny road, in a uniform? I don't think so...

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Earlier this month I blogged about an Assembly football team playing in London versus sides from Westminster, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The tournament is due to take place on Saturday 4th August. I noted that no Sinn Fein MLAs were due to take part and wondered whether they had an alternative fixture in Dublin.

But today a flyer dropped into my e-mail box for another tournament on exactly the same day. The Anti-racism World Cup at Colin Valley Playing Pitches in Poleglass on the outskirts of West Belfast boasts sides from Cuba, the Congo, the Basque country, Palestine, Italy, England, Catalonia, Kurdistan and Germany. The organisers promise a "spectacular competition". Whether any SF MLAs will be demonstrating their nifty ball skills I simply don't know.

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Just as Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness opened Belfast's first hedge fund management centre came news that NI has lost out to the Republic in snapping up one of the world's best known financial players. According to Reuters, Nick Leeson, the "rogue trader" who famously lost Barings Bank $1.4 billion, is to take over as Chief Executive of Galway United Football Club. He's been General Manager at the club since 2005. Galway's gain is our loss. Sceptics might believe that with his Singapore expertise, Nick could have made all the financial headaches over our proposed multi-sports stadium seem like small beer within a matter of weeks. But the club chairman at Galway describes him as "a wonderful addition" who has driven the club foward in recent years.

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DUP Antrim Councillor Mel Lucas might be in trouble with his party after accusing his local MP Willie McCrea of betraying the voters. But if the internal disciplinary proceedings lead to his dismissal, and if he doesn't then turn all his attentions to the new dissident unionist party promised a few weeks back by Ballymena Councillor Robin Stirling, then perhaps Mel could have a future in advertising. Speaking on Good Morning Ulster, he said "we were promised a battle a day, but instead what we have got is a giggle a day". It was meant as an insult but I am sure the Executive coud adopt it as a Stormont school motto, along the lines of "A giggle a day keeps the direct rulers away". Perhaps our multi lingual Culture Minister Edwin Poots could translate that into Irish, for everyone's benefit.

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With Operation Banner - the army's security presence in NI - due to formally end next week, anyone who has crossed the border recently knows it's a "blink and you miss it" experience. A few years back I filmed a section of a Spotlight film on one of the Donegal crossing points with a householder worried about the proximity of a checkpoint which was an obvious target for the IRA. Going through the same route last week I had to point out to the kids the tell tale signs that we were now in another jurisdiction (the yellow lines on the road).

Of course this is all in line with the theory behind the political process of blurring the border - making it seem increasingly irrelevant. I was interested then when Gordon Brown promised a new uniformed border force which, according to the Times, will "electronically screen every person who leaves or enters Britain". I can't see that happening on the Letterkenny road.

But if it applies only to airports and seaports and not to the only land border the UK has will that make a mockery of the supposedly tighter regime? Alternatively will NI passengers travelling to GB ports and airports be subjected to tighter screening than other UK citizens travelling within the country ( as we know some UK regional airports already operate a questionable policy on this score)?

Keen to learn more, I've asked the government to let me know how the new border force will deal with the border that isn't supposed to matter any more. A day has gone by with no answer, but I shall keep you posted when I get one.

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The report into the controversy over the appointment of Bertha McDougall as interim Victims Commissioner is just out. Peter Scott Q.C. finds no intention by anyone involved to mislead, and no evidence to warrant a police investigation, but serious shortcomings in how officials handled a Freedom of Information request in relation to the appointment.

UPDATE: Apologies to those of you who like RJ found this boring. I only had time to post the link up yesterday, before running off to do radio and TV, so wasn't able to pen an appraisal. I can see that the report is pretty dense with a cast list of anonymous civil servants identified only as Mr A, Ms U, Mr O, Mr M and so on...But I think the meat of the report's a bit more interesting than the headline.

The headline is "Hain and officials exonerated" but the chapter of shortcomings, whether they ocurred by accident or design is quite interesting. On page 14 we get the revelation that Ian Paisley personally handed Bertha McDougall's CV to Peter Hain identifying her as "the lady I spoke to you about as a suitable candidate for Victims' Commissioner", and asking that the nomination should be kept secret. Subsequently she was the only candidate interviewd before the appointemnt was made.

Then we see how various Freedom of information attempts to discover how her name got into the frame provoked responses which failed to mention this salient fact.

On pages 26 and 27 Scott documents the role of the Head of the NI Civil Service Nigel Hamilton who works on the devolved side of the government in the OFMDFM. Both Peter Scott and Judge Girvan thought he provided an "evasive" FoI answer. Mr Hamilton took the view that it was up to the NIO direct rulers to decide if delicate information should be released, but stands accused by Mr Scott of "unacceptable" behaviour in his "attempt to maintain a somewhat artificial and unreal distinction between the political and non-political process".

There's reams of similar stuff and maybe it is just for us anoraks who like guessing who Mr O and Mr M might be. And maybe this is water under the bridge. But remember a Permanent Victims' Commissioner was due to have been announced by the end of the Assembly term, but no name has officially been confirmed. Reading this one makes you wonder what internal shenanigans mignt be going on in relation to the appointment of Mrs McDougall's successor.

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When I asked Dermot Ahern a fortnight ago whether he thought there was any chance that, given the new dispensation, the Irish Republic might rejoin the Commonwealth, he appeared distinctly reluctant to follow the lead given some years ago by his party colleague Eamon O'Cuiv. Not deterred, the Labour backbencher Andrew Mackinlay today devoted a Westminster Hall debate to the notion that the UK should invite the Republic to join. Answering for the government, the Foreign Minister Jim Murphy said it wasn't up to the UK to extend an invitation, but there wasn't anything to stop Dublin applying.

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After all the build up to Edwin Poots' grilling by the Stormont Culture Committee, the Sports Minister emerged from today's encounter looking unperturbed. The meeting in the Senate chamber concentrated on the ever controversial proposal for a multi-sports stadium at the Maze.

When the special hearing was arranged the focus had all been on the pressures within the DUP over an "IRA shrine" at the Maze. These pressures had, apparently, led to the redrafting of a statement on the project by Mr Poots, toning down his advocacy of the Maze site.

The Ulster Unionist David McNarry wanted to know who was running the Culture Department, Mr Poots or his senior colleagues in the DUP. But the question was raised alongside a host of others, enabling the minister to simply avoid supplying the Committee with an answer. Later the question of an "IRA shrine" was raised - Mr Poots insisted no unionist would contemplate it, and there the matter rested.

With nothing much new either on internal DUP affairs or IRA shrines, the meat of the hearing concerned sport and business. The minister expressed "horror" at the thought of Northern Ireland having to play their international football matches overseas because of the continuing problems at Windsor Park. And he revealed that the GAA has ruled out any of the Belfast options.

As Mr Poots' evidence continued, the position of the IFA Chief Executive Howard Wells came under greater scrutiny as documents showed that Mr Wells had a personal preference for the Maze, although the IFA was keeping an open mind about venues. That annoyed the anti-Maze NI Football Supporters.

Whether by chance or design the focus seemed to slip from Mr Poots to Mr Wells. In a letter read out to the Committee Mr Wells said it was "unlikely that any Belfast driven initiative will sit well with the concept of a shared future".

The IFA is exploring the options of playing NI internationals in Scotland or England (but not, it seems, the Republic).
Perhaps they should try Hong Kong where David Healy made his debut for Fulham against Portsmouth. The stadium looked fine but the NI players looked overcome by the heat, and NI's leading goal scorer couldn't find the net to overturn Pompey's one goal lead. So maybe forget Hong Kong and stick to Craven Cottage, given that half the side is already there.

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Back from a week pottering around the beach. Having resisted the urge to grab a last minute deal, I am happy to report that the weather in Donegal did us proud.

My leave was definitely budget class, but back in the office I find myself pondering matters Executive. The Scotsman reports that the Scottish executive is intending to create a separate Scottish civil service, along the lines of the current NI civil service headed up by Nigel Hamilton.

The same report also hints that Alex Salmond may drop the term "Executive" to describe his administration. Changing Edinburgh's letterheads to refer to the Scottish "government" would be another way of asserting the SNP's independence from Whitehall. Mr Salmond's Labour predecessor Henry McLeish apparently pondered a similar move, but rowed back after expressions of displeasure from his Labour colleagues at Westminster.

Although students of political science understand what an "executive" and a "legislature" is, I sometimes wonder whether others are confused by the use of the term on our airwaves. Am I talking about our Magnificent Twelve or about some highly paid industrialist?

Our local regime's web page calls the powers-that-be the "Northern Ireland Executive". But elsewhere it refers to "Your Government". Would dropping the "Executive" tag be a leg up for our local authority, or might it lead to confusion over who the real "government" is - Stormont or London? Is it fine to continue using both terms interchangeably?

So if anyone out there has a handy moniker for the junta (somehow I'm not sure that synonym works) let me know. Alternatively you could take the view of the French laissez faire economist, Frederic Bastiat, "Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else." Or should that read "Executive"?

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I am happy to report that my colleague Mark Devenport is back from leave and he will be blogging all week. Thanks for all your comments!

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I interviewed Peter Robinson for Inside Politics tomorrow. The finance minister and I discussed a range of issues including the Maze, water charges and Workplace 2010. He wasn't too happy when I pointed to evidence that PFI had not worked elsewhere. Anyway, he also answered a few questions on the proposed Maze stadium. Find out more tomorrow....

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I was walking out of the 麻豆约拍 today when I met Barry White, the Belfast Telegraph columnist. The veteran journalist has chronicled both the Troubles and the peace process for many years. Such was his pessimism about the peace process ever working out that he was nicknamed, Barry Black. Indeed, he was affectionately described as "the man who turned the light out at the end of the tunnel."

But with Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness now getting along famously in a power-sharing Executive, and decommiissioning and policing now addressed, I said hello - and teased him with the words: "Well, the peace process is finally working out...."

"We'll see," he said. "Give it another six months."

Some things never change....

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Was it "show and tell " today at the Executive meeting ? Ian Paisley arrived at Stormont Castle brandishing his award for Opposition Parliamentarian of the Year. I'm told it was a bit of a struggle for the First Minister getting out of the car with the rather heavy trophy. My colleague Gareth Gordon, who witnessed the event, described the award as having a heavy wooden base, and what looks like brass.

Was the First Minister trying to entice the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP into taking his seat at Westminster to compete in the category next year? After all, if you ain't in, you can't win?

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Just a note of thanks to all those eagle-eyed readers who noticed I mispelled Alex Salmond's name in yesterday's blog. I know this will sound a bit fishy but it is just a typo and I hope you all appreciate I did spell it right on Monday. I am pleading overwork and the tiny print used by my computer when I am blogging. It is straining my eyes!!

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Well it's now official that visitor numbers at Stormont have been soaring since devolution. In one four week period there were 6,000 visitors through the doors. While in part this may be explained by the dearth of attractions in Belfast, it seems there is a political curiosity factor. People want to get a gander at our politicians. But most of the visitors are coming from east of the Bann. Lamented by Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff, among others. "Come in and pull up to the fire!"

PS I can definitely recommend the tour!

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Remember the tensions that we reported on Monday around the preparation for the British Irish Council. There were squabbles over who should do what and where at the rehearsal on Sunday. One insider had described two feisty Scottish women insisting that Alex Salmon was going to be in the front row, not the second row, for the family protrait. I met one Stormont insider up at Stormont today who insisted I had underplayed the tensions and the notion there were only two feisty Scots in the mix. "It was more like 20 mothers in law at a wedding," he recalled.

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My attempts on Monday night to get a list of Stormont ministers due to attend today's NSMC seems to have caused some confusion. First I was told by a senior DUP source that not all the party's ministers would attend, and that the enterprise minister Nigel Dodds for example had a pressing engagement with lottery officials about the multi-million Titanic quarter. Ahead of a live radio braodcast this morning I asked a Stormont press officer at around 7.30 am for a list of attendees and was told all the ministers would be at the NSMC. So I checked back with my DUP source who said the enterprise minister was not going because he was meeting lottery officials. When I asked if the minister was snubbing the NSMC I was told firmly he was certainly not. The DUP source then suggested it was possible Mr Dodds might make it for the lunch. At ten minutes to ten, while preparing to report the minister's possible absence,I was told by the same DUP source that there certainly was no issue around Mr Dodds attendance and that Mr Dodds might appear at some point in the day. So at ten o'clock I reported that Mr Dodds may or may not be there. To my surprise, the uncertainty lasted about 20 seconds. For as the bulletin finished, the enterprise minister appeared before my eyes, walking past Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness as they gave a news conference. Naturally, I swiftly reported that Mr Dodds had indeed turned up. Smiling executive officials have continued to insist this was always the plan. But another DUP insider told me Mr Dodds had delayed his meeting and made strenuous efforts to be there for the start of the meeting to ensure there was nothing negative read into his absence. After all who needs a titanic public relations disaster on such a big day? So in the end the only absent stormont minister was Michael McGimpsey - who was on leave.

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Word went through the press corps today at the NSMC in Armagh that a protest had formed outside. Was it Willie Frazer and his Fair group, one wondered. I and a colleague went to see. It turned out to be a protest against homelessness, with just two people and a single banner. How times have changed!

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Well, the picture might look like Mark Devenport but it is his faithful colleague Martina Purdy who is blogging, while Mark is taking a well-deserved holiday. As for the BIC summit today, it might have looked like a relaxed day out, but my sources tell me it was anything but - especially at Sunday's rehearsal. Tensions were rife - and for once it wasn't our politicians who were niggling. It seems there was quite a bit of squabbling about who was doing what and where. One Stormont inside put it down to tensions between the Labour government and the regions (read Scotland and Wales.) At one point, the plan was that the BIC "family portrait" would have the Prime Minister, and the Taoiseach alongside Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness with the other regional ministers tucked in the back. But the Scots said a big "naaay" to that. And I'm told two feisty Scottish women officials insisted that the newly elected First Minister of Scotland was not taking any back seats. It was all worked out in another historic compromise. So that's why the historic portrait sees Alex Salmond and the Welsh Deputy First Minister smiling in the front row on the steps of the Great Hall alongisde Gordon Brown, Bertie Ahern and our own fair ministers. As Ian Paisley would say, peace perfect peace!

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Back in the late seventies, a cameraman applying for a job at 麻豆约拍 Belfast was asked during his interview how he would go about covering a forthcoming visit by the Pope. 鈥淲ith two comps and bisque鈥� he replied. These were, at the time, different kinds of 麻豆约拍 leave entitlement.

With similar timing, I have managed to avoid covering next week鈥檚 British Irish and North South summits by arranging a week鈥檚 holiday before they were announced. I鈥檓 taking some on again off again leave over the next few weeks, but the plan is that Martina Purdy should contribute here when I鈥檓 away, so expect her to raise the whole tone of this blog.

As usual on a Friday, I recorded an Inside Politics programme for broadcast on Radio Ulster on Saturday at a quarter to one. This week鈥檚 victim is the Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern, who is looking forward to both of next week鈥檚 summits.

He runs through the roads and canals north of the border which have benefited, or will benefit, from Irish taxpayers鈥� money. He is supportive of both a North South parliamentary forum, bringing MLAs and TDS together, and a North South consultative forum, which would be a bit like the old civic forum, but organised on a cross border basis. The Ulster Unionists were a bit dubious about the former and I guess quite a few parties might ask questions about the latter, given the civic forum鈥檚 reputation as a talking shop.

Ian Paisley鈥檚 explanation that Alex Salmond鈥檚 nationalism was fine because he recognised the Queen prompted me to ask the Foreign Minister if the Irish Republic might ever consider joining the Commonwealth, like other republics such as India. Unlike his party colleague Eamon O鈥機uiv back in the nineties, Dermot didn鈥檛 bite.

As I finished the interview I realised I had forgotten to ask the Dundalk TD if, given the new British Irish dispensation, the Dail should field a team in next month鈥檚 parliamentary soccer knockout in London. Drat. I鈥檓 sure it will be high on the agenda at Monday鈥檚 summit at Stormont.

If you want to find out what really happens, there's special live coverage on 麻豆约拍2 on Monday at noon, as well as on Talkback on Radio Ulster.

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The 12th is just getting underway. All appeared calm overnight, but, true to form, a few people have been lambasting others. Whilst our dolphin friendly MEP (see below) is concerned about "intelligent mammals" being caused needless suffering, the other unionist MEP is showing no such mercy to the intelligent mammals who used to be his party colleagues.

Instead Jim Allister used a County Antrim bonfire to launch an assault on his former leader Ian Paisley who last year talked about sharing power with "IRA/Sinn Fein" over his dead body. The independent MEP accused the Doc of being "Marty's buddy. The glee says it all; giggling constantly with IRA leader McGuinness. Shame on him!"

So far the DUP leader hasn't hit back directly. But he has taken a side swipe at the Pope saying his recent statement that the Catholic church was the only true church and others are merely religious associations is "startling." Ian regards this as the excommunication of all Christendom by the Pope, and claims that resisting the Pope's dogma is "the chief battle of the day. There is no other."

Of course the day is young and when politicians and preachers take to their platforms things may change, but for now the message to Jim seems to be 'lay off Ian, or the Pope gets it'.

UPDATE: As predicted, Dr Paisley avoided politics during his speech in Ballymoney, sticking to concerns about religion and the breakdown of marriage. No direct mention of his erstwhile MEP. It was left to another Jim, the Assembly member for South Down Jim Wells, to use his speech to raise concerns about the IRA Army Council. Most importantly, despite some isolated incidents, it's been a remarkably relaxed Twelfth of July.

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I bumped into Edwin Poots at Stormont this afternoon, on his way out from an Executive meeting to discuss next week鈥檚 summit with Gordon Brown. The Culture Minister is at the centre of a storm about whether his party has muzzled him over the proposed multi sports stadium at the Maze. However he seemed relaxed, just back from a break in the USA. The minister confirmed that he intends to appear before a special meeting of the Culture Committee scheduled for July 24th, in which members will return from their summer break to concentrate on the controversy over the Maze. The DUP are currently avoiding questions about the project, but it will be hard for Mr Poots to duck and weave throughout the special session of the scrutiny committee which is expected to take place on camera in the Senate chamber.

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I'm so used to documenting Jim Shannon's efforts to extend "countryside sports" to various breeds of our wildlife, that it seems a refreshing change to hear from our Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson. He wants to end the practice of "bass pair trawling" which he believes to be "responsible for thousands of dolphin and whale deaths every year". Britain has already banned this kind of fishing, but according to Jim Nicholson, there still isn't an effective European ban. "When an unacceptable number of intelligent mammals are being needlessly put to a painful and miserable death" the MEP argues "surely it is time to act."

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The papers have been full of "friendship" soccer matches between Christians and Muslims recently. One in Germany was decisively won by the Christians. One in Norway was suspended in a row over women players.

Next month sees an encounter of a different kind with a Stormont Assembly team setting off to London to take on the might of Westminster, Holyrood and Cardiff. The fixture kept going throughout the period of suspension.

Last year Scotland beat Northern Ireland in the final amidst accusations of "ringers" taking to the pitch.

Scotland's manager is Kenny Dalglish. Northern Ireland's is Pat Jennings. The provisional line up is David McClarty, Danny Kennedy, John McCallister, David Hilditch, Peter Weir, Alex Easton, Roy Beggs Jr., Tommy Burns and Tommy Gallagher, plus a couple of Stormont officials. Sinn Fein appear conspicuous by their absence - maybe they have another fixture on in Dublin.

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An SDLP press release has just landed in my e-mail in-box expressing fears about the potential dangers of a bonfire at the Ballycraigy estate in Antrim. I'd be worried about spontaneous combustion too if my name was Thomas Burns.

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So the first British Irish Council meeting is to take place at Stormont next week. The attendant hacks can expect Gordon Brown and a fair bit of red tape. The Assembly Commission has agreed that "security arrangements similar to 8 May's events would apply". I am intending to be off on leave next Monday, but if all goes according to plan Martina Purdy should be blogging away here in my absence.

So I shall let her tackle the linguistic minefield posed by BIC meetings. Ian Paisley has just said that the "East/West summit will involve all the administrations within the United Kingdom, including Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey". However the last three on that list will swiftly point out that they are not part of the UK, but federated dependencies.

I have just talked on Radio Ulster's Talkback about the summit bringing together all parts of the "British Isles". But I have since been reminded that the Irish government doesn't like this term. So is it the "Council of the Isles"? This gets around nationalist sensibilities, but doesn't help much if you are trying top explain things to someone who lives in the Canaries or another archipelago.

Which brings me to "the Atlantic Archipelago" - a term coined by some geographers. It avoids all political controversy, but would provoke blank looks so far as most people are concerned.

Perhaps the only answer is to repeat the words "British Irish Council" without seeking to explain it any further. Unless, of course, any of archipelago dwellers can come up with useful alternative suggestions?

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Last week I drove to Cookstown to interview Martin McGuinness for Inside Politics, but I'm afraid I completely missed the real story. My sources tell me that a Sandwich War is in danger of breaking out at the Council.

Previously councillors got used to taking their tea and sandwiches after council and committee meetings in the Chairman's office. But nationalists complain that the practice ended after the DUP's Ian McCrea, son of Willie, took over.

Councillors noticed the change when they discovered their sandwiches on a trolley in a corridor close to a gent's toilet. In high dudgeon, Sinn Fein Councillors Clarke, Molloy, McNamee, McAleer, and Mc Ivor all put their names to the following motion.

鈥漈hat this Council agrees that the practice of providing hospitality for Councillors, staff and visitors in the Chairman鈥檚 room at Council and Statutory Committee meetings is reinstated with immediate effect鈥�.

I don't know exactly what fillings they have in their butties, but given this is Cookstown I hope some of them are sausage sandwiches.

UPDATE: My Cookstown sources tell me a compromise is under discussion - the Council's marriage room is now being touted as a possible venue for hospitality. Both sides to the dispute will have to vow to love, honour and clean up each other's crumbs...

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I just recorded an interview for tonight's 麻豆约拍 Newsline about Alastair Campbell's Diaries "The Blair Years". It doesn't exactly change our understanding of history but there are a couple of good anecdotes. He says the three Republican women who accompanied Gerry Adams on his first visit to Downing Street were "as tough as boots". The delegates in question were Lucilita Bhreatnach, Siobhan O'Hanlon and our very own Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew.

As the negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement reached their heights Campbell describes an atmosphere of near hysteria as the politicians and officials work around the clock to seal the deal. At one point he's called in to see Tony Blair when the prime minister is in the bath. He finds the PM playing the fool, mimicking an Irish newsreader announcing that as part of an agreement Cherie Blair is going to become a Protestant and Tony has agreed to speak with an Irish accent.

Campbell talks about the tug of war between unionists and nationalists about which cross border bodies could be set up as part of the deal and a meeting in which David Trimble and John Taylor went into the minutest detail of the smallest ideas they had about the bodies. This was nearly midnight on the night before the agreement was signed and when the two Ulster Unionists left Campbell and Tony Blair fell into hysterics, putting on Irish accents again and wondering what bodies they could come up with. "the waste paper bin emptying body" and "the screwing tops of bottles body" were two of their suggestions.

Of course there are darker moments as well as light ones. After Omagh he describes Tony Blair overruling Mo Mowlam on the security response and there are some tart observations about David Trimble as "difficult" and "graceless". Martin McGuinness also comes off better than Gerry Adams.

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The independent unionist MEP Jim Allister has responded to my Inside Politics interview with Martin McGuinness, in which the Deputy First Minister argued that delisting and demolishing the buildings where the IRA hunger strikes took place would be "ludicrous". Mr McGuinness argued that creating an interpretative centre at the Maze was a project of international importance in an era when local politicians are trying to share their experience of conflict resolution with other parts of the world (on which subject the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has just funded a 25 million euro a year conflict resolution unit).

Predictably Jim Allister isn't impressed with the Deputy First Minister's argument that any Maze centre would not glorify the IRA hunger strikers. He claims it would salute and enhance their memory just as the heritage centre at Conlig in County Down salutes the memory of the soldiers who fought at the Somme.

Jim Allister wants the Maze buildings delisted and swiftly demolished. Sinn Fein's Paul Butler reckons this would run "totally contrary to everything that we are trying to do in terms of attracting people to our country to learn from what is clearly a whole new experience for us."

How come this argument never happened when the demolition workers moved in to take apart those iconic army watch towers on the border, which would surely have been a mecca for tourists?

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According to recent reports, the former Secretary of State John Reid is being touted as the next chairman of Celtic FC. However this week Executive ministers were discussing whether he would be a suitable economic envoy for Northern Ireland. It's thought the idea came from London rather than Belfast, and it's believed most local ministers were lukewarm about the proposal. Whilst they don't want to spurn any offer of help, the prevailing view was that the best envoys for Northern Ireland in places like the USA would be the people now charged with running the place. That means Ian Paisley, Martin McGuinness and, in this instance, the Enterprise Minister Nigel Dodds.

I've recorded an interview with Martin McGuinness for this weekend's Inside Politics. He gives me his views on the rift within the DUP over the Maze stadium proposal, the Executive's review of the shake up in local government and the potential for any extra peace dividend. We also discuss the marching season and sectarianism on the ground in the light of last week's brutal attack on a 15 year old boy in North Belfast.

Inside Politics is on Radio Ulster tomorrow afternoon at a quarter to one.

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Last week I chaired a debate organised by the NI Youth Forum and the British Youth Council in the Stormont Long Gallery. They had 6 politicians there - representing the four biggest parties, Alliance and the Greens. The thing that struck me most about the event wasn't anything the politicians said but some of the heart rending first hand accounts from the young people present about the fear and depression which drove them to contemplate suicide.

The debate was filmed by an independent company run by young people called Catch 21 Productions and a section has just been put up on Youtube. The section concentrates on those infamous comments from Ian Paisley Jr. about gays, which provoked a strong reaction from some of the young people in the audience.

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I thought the days of Downing Street trying to fix elections so the DUP didn't prosper had gone. But then I read that Gordon Brown's Governance Green Paper is canvassing the idea of voting on Sundays to boost turnout. Surely, I thought, this will discriminate against all those DUP sabbatarians?

I've just taken a look at the Green Paper. It does indeed talk about weekend voting in general and local elections. There's no suggestion that devolved elections will be changed. The Green Paper promises that "the consultation will take into account the needs of religious groups, to ensure that those with religious objections to voting on a Saturday or Sunday have an opportunity to vote in a way that is consistent with their beliefs."

I'm not quite sure what this means - will all the sabbatarians have postal votes? And what will sabbatarian candidates and agents do - could we be robbed of all that hymn singing which normally accompanies a victory speech?

The Electoral Office has indicated it will go for overnight counting at future General elections to put us in the same boat as the rest of the UK. But what if some of their counting staff refuse to clock on until midnight?

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"I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me... power"? Well that might be far from true in US politics, but according to the latest Electoral Commission figures on the March assembly election campaign the sentiment may hold true closer to home. The figures show that of the four biggest parties, the one who spent the most emerged with the least seats.

The SDLP spent nearly 拢370,000 during the campaign, after which they held on to only 16 seats. (That includes more than 拢120,000 on advertising which apparently covered some pretty expensive billboards and Sunday newspaper adverts). The Ulster Unionists spent more than 拢260,000 for their 18 seats. The DUP spent just over 拢250,000 for their 36 seats, whilst Sinn Fein spent nearly 拢220,000 for their 28 seats.

The Electoral Commission has fined the Ulster Unionists 拢500 for making a late return on their campaign spending. It has also fined the Workers Party and the Socialist Environmental Alliance 拢500 each for failing to submit a return.

The Commission will now start going through the figures submitted by the parties with its fine tooth comb to try to establish that everything which should have been declared has been declared.

I've tried to boil the figures down into a value for money chart, revealing who took a seat for the least expenditure. So here goes with the figure representing how much the election cost per seat won.

1. Kieran Deeney 拢5,985
2. DUP 拢6,984
3. Sinn Fein 拢7,824
4. PUP 拢12,375
5. Alliance 拢14,061
6. UUP 拢14,556
7. SDLP 拢22,922
8. Green 拢98,432

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Just did an interview for tonight's 麻豆约拍 Newsline on the uncertain fate of Peter Hain's proposed super councils. An executive sub committee will start looking at the local government shake up from tomorrow. Chaired by the Environment Minister, Arlene Foster, the group is expected to report back by the end of the year. Sinn Fein backed Peter Hain's seven council model, although there were dissenting voices, most notably Francie Molloy. But the other parties were against, favouring fifteen councils.

Both sides can wield a veto over the future. Some senior Stormont sources are telling me that eleven councils is the most likely compromise, but there could be some horse trading before everyone signs off on an agreed figure.

Either way it looks like the proposed timetable for council reform will be delayed. Elections to the super councils were originally meant to take place next year, with the new structures taking power in the spring of 2009. Now any new councils are unlikely to 'go live' until 2011, meaning the existing 26 councils could get a stay of execution.

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According to my web research that's how a Romanian Cheeky Girl would bid farewell to our former Lib Dem NI spokesman. Alternatively if we were to turn to Mr Opik's Estonian origins we might try Jumalaga Lembit! I am quite happy to stand corrected by more fluent speakers of both languages.

Anyway it will be hard for our new Lib Dem Spokesman Alistair Carmichael to follow Lembit's act. A solicitor and MP for the Orkneys and Shetlands, Mr Carmichael has often spoken on NI in the Commons as a junior Lib Dem spokesman, but somehow I can't see him getting into the tabloids quite as much as his predecessor.

At the time of writing I was not able to ascertain his views either on the Cheeky Girls' forthcoming album "In My Mind It鈥檚 A Different World (A Cheeky One!)" or the potential for an imminent asteroid impact on the northern hemisphere.

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No sooner have we bid goodbye to the famously perma-tanned Peter Hain than we get another politician with an expertise in tanning. In David Cameron's latest reshuffle, David Lidington has moved to be a Shadow Foreign Office Minister. He's replaced by the MP for North Shropshire, Owen Paterson. Before entering politics, Owen Paterson studied at the National Leathersellers College in Northampton. He then joined the British Leather Company, eventually rising to become President of the European Tanners' Confederation. Now that's what I call tanning.

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It's been such a long time since I typed the name "Jim Shannon" that I was beginning to have withdrawal symptoms. Then as I flicked through today's written answers I found the DUP MLA for Strangford asking the Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew "if she will consider reintroducing the 'fox bounty', to control the rise in fox numbers and their impact on wildlife?"

This prompted a discussion about how hunters used to claim the "fox bounty" before it ended in the mid seventies. The general consensus is that you had to hand over the fox's tongue to the authorities to get your money. However one source says that north of the border it was the tongue, whilst south of the border it was the tail, meaning that you could indulge in a bit of cross border double jobbing (or should that be double foxing?). How much did you used to get per fox? Can anyone out there remember?

Anyway is the bounty coming back? Not if Michelle Gildernew has anything to do with it. She tells him the bounty proved ineffective, and she doesn't believe there is any overriding need to bring it back.

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The Green Party's MLA Brian Wilson will no doubt be dissappointed. The Finance Minister Peter Robinson has told him that a plan to install a combined heat and power heating system at Stormont, which dates back to 2003, has been dropped due to changes in fuel prices. However a review has suggested some stand alone bio mass units can be installed around Stormont. Does that mean we are going to tap into the unrivalled amount of hot air around this place or not?

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Sinn Fein's Caral Ni Chuilin is claiming victory after fighting for a more comfortable, practical uniform for Stormont's cleaners. The old ones had no pockets and felt as tight as straitjackets. After the North Belfast MLA's intervention the cleaners are going to be kitted out once more.

Presumably the straitjackets will be saved for use on the Stormont press corps.

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Our new Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, told the Politics Show at the weekend that we now face the same threat from international terrorism as the rest of the UK "no more and no less".

Passengers arriving at Belfast City Airport this morning didn't appear to agree. One woman told Will Leitch on Good Morning Ulster that "our time has come and gone. Britain is more the target than us, and Scotland too now Gordon Brown is Prime Minister".

Obviously you have to be cautious about tempting fate. If some Islamic extremist happened to find themselves close to a target of opportunity here (say, a visiting VIP) it's quite possible something awful could happen. But in general terms I agree more with the passengers in transit than the Cabinet minister. There are more high profile targets in Great Britain than here, so if you are an international terrorist mounting a campaign then you are more likely to be active there. Also given that most terrorists are mindful of the media impact of what they do, they might consider an incident in Northern Ireland to be simply too confusing in terms of the message it projects.

Perhaps the changing nature of the threat should be communicated to those authorities at UK regional airports who still insist in segregating Northern Ireland passengers and taking their photos. Why?

But will we start marketing ourselves as the "safest place in the UK?" Don't hold your breath.

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So Harvard Professor Richard Somer thinks Stormont should be shut and the Assembly relocated in a new building somewhere around the Titanic Quarter. He's a Prof. in Urban Design, not Politics. Which may prompt you to think, enough said.

If not I'm happy to solicit suggestions

1) For venues and designs for our new assembly
2) For alternative uses for the Stormont edifice

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