Unanimously Unconvinced 2
Well what to say about that DUP meeting. It was pretty clear when I posted my entry last night in the immediate wake of the DUP news conference that the "no running commentary" line would not hold for long. Since then we have had claims of resignation threats, substantiation of the internal DUP vote and DUP denials that Peter Robinson made any "back me or sack me" ultimatum.
For the best account of what did or did not happen yesterday I commend you to my colleague
Whether you think Peter Robinson is the new David Trimble or not, it's clear that he is having real problems convincing his party to sign on the dotted line. Mr Robinson was at Hillsborough Castle continuing the negotiations tonight. Senior DUP sources say he will go back to his Assembly group either tomorrow or Thursday.
Whilst understandably the internal machinations of the DUP took centre stage today, the Ulster Unionists also came in for a bit of attention. Whilst some assumed when Mr Robinson travelled back at one point from Hillsborough to Stormont that he was breifing his own team I am told he was in fact holding a planned meeting with Sir Reg Empey (no need for an English country house this time) to brief the Ulster Unionist leader on the deal.
Sir Reg also took a call this morning from Gordon Brown who tried to convince him to get off the fence and back the deal. The prime minister's carrot, it's understood, was an assurance that any package will deal with Ulster Unionist concerns about the inefficient operation of the Stormont Executive. Mr Brown's stick came in the form of a warning that if the deal fails and the Assembly collapses then there will be no suspension but a snap election. The government must calculate that this will send the shivers up the UUP timbers, although I'm not sure they have any more to fear from the prospect than the DUP.
Tomorrow we can predict with a degree of certainty there will be an interruption to the process. That's because Shaun Woodward and many local MPs will be in Westminster for which includes a question from Eddie McGrady on the state of the Hillsborough talks.
It's understood that Micheal Martin also has an important engagement in London on Thursday, related to the Irish diaspora, which he is intending to keep.
I'm 
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