Sliding Sideways into Stormont
The days when you could stroll up the hill, then straight up the steps into the Assembly building are over. From today we have a new security booth on the east side of the building, through which visitors and staff must filter before gaining entry. It's a permanent monument to Michael Stone's unexpected appearance at the rotating door back in November 2006.
The new booth had only been up and running for a couple of hours before the doorkeepers discovered a knife in the bag of a visiting schoolboy. The old checks would probably have revealed the weapon, but Ian Paisley Jnr. sees the incident as a vindication of the tighter security regime.
In the chamber it's been a relatively unremarkable day, although Education questions got typically heated (Iris Robinson's glares across the Chamber at Caitriona Ruane had to be seen to be believed). Unionist MLAs did not even wait until the vexed question of academic selection came up - the tennis playing Education Minister lectured Sammy Wilson about interrupting her as she tried to explain the need for children to acquire "fundamental ball skills".
Tomorrow the Victims Commission Bill is due up for consideration. As I write there is still no sign of any resolution to the differences between the DUP and Sinn Fein over whether or not a Chief Commissioner should be appointed.
I'm 
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Are there so many criminals or terrorists seeking the MLA's in this new age of law and order? I suppose Michael Stone is the exception; I feel that he was just as big a show man as those he was visiting. There could be a false sense of importance on the hill. As far as Iris Robinson's glares are concerned; her party placed Sinn Fein/IRA accross the floor so they had a public well rewarded platform to elevate their shadow boxing and false behaviour.
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