Archives for May 2008

No great surprise, but we can now confirm that the DUP Executive, meeting at Castlereagh Council, has approved Peter Robinson as party leader.

Over at Balmoral, the scene of last night's Paisley farewell bash, UUP activists have been attending their AGM. Responding to the talk of a merger between the two main unionist parties, Sir Reg Empey argued that, whilst greater cooperation is possible, there is still an appetite for what the UUP has to offer.

On Inside Politics at a quarter to one you can hear an extended interview with Peter Robinson. He covers a range of issues including questions about the rumours that Sinn Fein might be considering refusing to put forward Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister next Thursday when he is due to be nominated alongside Mr Robinson as First Minister.

The rumours have been running since last Thursday, and appeared in the newspapers today. The suggestion is that republicans are so annoyed about issues like the delay in devolving justice, the Maze, the Irish language and education that they could pull the plug on the nomination, which in turn could trigger a fresh election.

However it's a nuclear option. Sinn Fein sources have given me mixed messages about this and Peter Robinson himself finds it hard to credit they would make good on such a threat. It's possible, though, that we could see a delay to the carefully planned choreography at Stormont.

For more on this, and on the debate over unionist unity, tune in to the Politics Show on BBC1 tomorrow at noon.

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Like most of the other local political correspondents, I spent a fair bit of yesterday up at Stormont Castle recording a farewell interview with Ian Paisley. At least I got in, unlike David Gordon from the Belfast Telegraph, who was turned away. As the Telegraph sees it this final "No" from Dr No was a recognition of their dogged use of Freedom of information in relation to the Paisley family.

I am doing a bit more editing this afternoon before heading up to the Paisley goodbye party this evening. The comedienne Nuala McKeever is slated to provide the entertainment. Which begs the question, if you were saying goodbye to the "Chuckle Brother" which jokes would you crack? (All contributions must be clean and God fearing).

If you want to watch the Paisley farewell interview, you can do so above
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The Speaker, Willie Hay, was having a quiet lunch in the Stormont Members Dining Room with his choice for the new Director and Chief Clerk, Trevor Reaney, when 17 journalists, including yours truly, arrived for a going away meal for our colleague, the Press Association's Political Editor Dan McGinn.

The Speaker promised that a press release would be going out soon about the appointment of Mr Reaney, formerly the Chief Executive at the Policing Board. But when you've already had lunch in the presence of 17 hacks representing every sector of the Belfast press pack a formal announcement seems somehow unnecessary.

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Barry McElduff has just solicited a list of Stormont's symbols and emblems from the Assembly Commission. It's part of the general battle over Britishness, Irishness and neutrality which we've already seen played out in some council buildings.

Putting that to one side, the list makes interesting reading Stormont Written Answers.

It includes the famous painting of King Billy and the Pope, two jardinaires (aka planters) reputedly made from timbers of the "Mountjoy" (the ship which broke the boom during the Siege of Derry), the Speaker's "full bottomed wig in a carry case" (which Willie Hay doesn't wear these days) and a didgeridoo, presented to the Assembly by the Aboriginal ambassador to Europe.

UPDATE: Barry McElduff has now floated the idea of setting up an ad Hoc Committee to examine the equality aspects of the Stormont artefacts. And thanks to Alan for spotting my spelling error, now corrected.

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Having been outmanoeuvred on the chess board by 8 year old Raghav Gupta at last Friday's Stormont Elite Chess tournament, our Green MLA Brian Wilson found himself checkmated by the Environment Minister Arlene Foster this morning when she ruled out the creation of an Independent Environmental Protection Agency.

Instead she is revamping her in house Environment and Heritage Service, which will become the NI Environment Agency from July. It will be renamed but not independent. The decision overturned the recommendations of a review commissioned under direct rule. It left the Ulster Farmers Union happy, but green campaigners fuming.

The DUP's own one man green wing, Jim Wells, asked for a re-assurance that the minister was not ruling out an Independent EPA for ever and a day. She paid tribute to his green credentials and assured him that the case for an independent agency could be examined again in the context of an overall review in 2011.

Of course that's the year the next Assembly election is due, after which who knows which party will take the Environment portfolio. Unless Jim has more success in converting his party colleagues to his green cause than he's had so far, it's hard to imagine a DUP Environment Minister revisiting this one.
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The SDLP leader Mark Durkan today welcomed news that work on a regional centre for the Public Prosecution Service in Derry is to be completed in September. He argued that the PPS policy should set an example to the public sector as a whole, which "must move away from a Belfast-focused mindset".

Yesterday the Stormont Finance Committee had a briefing from Professor Sir George Bain, who is chairing a review of public sector job location due to report in the summer. He promised to be specific in his eventual recommendations. But until his report is published he stuck, by and large, to general principles.

However he did say the easiest bodies to locate in the regions would be new ones, specifically mentioning the new Victims Commission (a group which, the DUP's Peter Weir joked, some already see an as exercise in public sector job creation). So could the Commission be based in, say, the North West?

The professor also mentioned the new Education and Skills Authority, although he acknowledged that this is not exactly an entirely new body as it will be made up from the existing Education Boards.

If the Executive wants to pursue a policy of job dispersal, Sir George emphasised it will require political will and courage. There are likely to be personnel difficulties to be negotiated, and the costs of any move may appear more tangible than the potential benefits in terms of economic growth in areas beyond Belfast.

Sir George also gave a word of warning to those who think that if you put down a big departmental headquarters in a deprived area it will necessarily transform the district's economic prospects. He cited as an example the hotels and offices on the Belfast Gasworks site, arguing the the development had not had a significant beneficial impact on people living in the Markets and Donegall Pass.

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Regular blog reader Noel Adams pointed out to me some time ago that some of our councillors were being briefed about the likelihood of a rash of co-options, probably next year. With the local government elections delayed until 2011, when the new super councils are due to take over, veteran councillors and MLAs who also hold council seats may be encouraged to step down if they want to benefit from any severance package (estimated maximum value £20,000).

That being the case, it's thought legislation may be passed to allow for a rash of co-options, rather than by-elections. Currently councillors can be co-opted, but only if no other councillor objects. Otherwise a by-election has to be fought.

At a meeting of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee yesterday the SDLP's Alex Attwood asked for some legal advice on how a system of mandatory co-options would sit alongside European rights conventions on the need for free and fair elections.

It's still early days as no legislation to allow for co-option has yet been published. But given the result in Dromore, one can imagine that some parties would be keener than others on a series of by-elections.

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The DUP's Jim Wells has obviously been staring at the Stormont building a lot recently. First he objects to the size of the flags Shrinking Flag. Now he is taking aim at the unloved security hut at the East entrance, wondering why it had not been designed to reflect the Greek classical architecture of Parliament Buildings.

The Assembly Commission emphasise that the hut is just a temporary structure, and should be replaced as part of the proposed new building which is expected to accomodate new committee rooms and a visitor centre.

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I am working here on the presumption that all our legislators have ten digits. Last year they and the Assembly's other staff used around 180 copies of the Yellow Pages. But next year, in an effort to cut waste, the Assembly is planning to order no more than 40 copies. They are encouraging everyone to use the internet to search the directory on line instead. Thanks to Jim Wells and the Assembly Commission representative Bob Coulter for this nugget.

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So as we approach the last leg of Ian Paisley's farewell tour, we have to prepare for a flying visit from another politician who will soon be on his way. George Bush is due at Stormont at the end of his European tour in June. Earlier today I was interviewing another US Visitor, the Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams who is in Ireland to support calls for a local Peace Minister and to attend a conference on cluster bombs in Dublin.

It was clear from the get go that Ms Williams isn't the President's biggest fan. She reckons the Iraq war was all about stealing oil and confessed to having some qualms about the notion of a US Peace Minister when she first heard about it, lest the President appoint Donald Rumsfeld to the job.

I reminded her that last time President Bush visited Hillsborough he had promised to devote just as much time to making peace in the Middle East as Tony Blair did to making peace in Northern Ireland. Had he kept to his pledge? "Not in my measure of how you do peace" Ms Williams replied, adding "but then I did get the Peace Prize and he didn't."

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The political consultants Stratagem have conducted a survey of more than 50 MLAs together with a London polling company, ComRes. They asked the politicians to name their favourite candidate in the US Presidential Race.

32% backed Hillary Clinton
29% backed John McCain
22% backed Barack Obama

Apparently McCain was the favourite amongst DUP MLAs, Obama amongst Sinn Fein MLAs, whilst Hillary Clinton drew support across the board.

Somehow, though, I think she'd swop any number of MLAs for just one Democrat superdelegate.

The survey also asked the MLAs to name their who had been their greatest political influence.

Ian Paisley topped the poll, followed by Margaret Thatcher, then Martin Luther King.

Other figures who featured included the former SDLP Leader John Hume, the former UUP Leader Lord Trimble, the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Bobby Sands, Edward Carson and the future First Minister Peter Robinson.

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Our four main party leaders have signed a letter condemning it, and our four main church leaders have backed them, but today, as MPs debate the time limits for abortion, there is no sign of any Westminster amendment intended to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.

Yesterday the DUP put out another in a series of statements criticising the Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris for tabling a "disturbing" amendment designed to "impose a liberalised abortion regime on the Province". It's true that Mr Harris has previously been quoted as supporting the extension of abortion here Observer article June 2007. However when I spoke to the Oxford West MP last week he told me he had no such amendment and was not dealing with the issue.

It's not impossible that such an amendment could be tabled at a later stage. One of our local MPs told me he was getting some flak from English MPs. He said they took the view that if Northern Ireland MPs wanted to interfere in the time limits for abortion in England, then maybe English MPs should interefere in the ban on abortion here.

But so far there has been no amendment tabled - so, if that remains the case, were fears of such a move missplaced or has the united nature of the local anti-abortion campaign deterred English MPs from tacking this issue on to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill?

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Apart from the ministerial shake up, could other moves be afoot within the DUP? There are some whispers in the Stormont corridors that the South Antrim MP Willie McCrea could be made leader of the party's team in the Commons.

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My colleague Martina Purdy heard that the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water might be about to step down tomorrow. So she asked the company to clarify. They asked her to put her query in writing, which she did.

The company then responded with the following statement "While we do not normally comment on speculation about individual members of staff, we can confirm that Katharine Bryan remains Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water."

Since their use of the present tense did not address what might happen in the near future, Martina has responded by checking with them whether Mrs Bryan will still be Chief Executive tomorrow, or the day after. Watch this space.

16:26 and I can report the following non update: NI Water has told Martina "Our original statement stands and we have no further comment to make on the future employment of our Chief Executive or indeed any other Northern Ireland Water employee".. So that's cleared that up then

13:30 the next day. Martina hears there may be an announcement about the Chief Executive at 14:00. An NIW source indicates "something is coming through very shortly"

14:00 Tuesday. NI Water confirms that Katharine Bryan is to leave her post on May 31st.

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I'm just back from a weekend visit to Euro Disney, which prompted every politician I met today to make the same joke - "from one theme park to another!" One MLA's phone went off during our conversation, and I swear his ring tone was a tune by "Alvin and the Chipmunks". So we are all kids at heart.

The main games under discussion were the continuing competition to "dump the Maze". The Ulster Unionists have a motion calling for a development corporation to be put in charge of the site. Even republicans appear to be increasingly coming to the view that the multi sports stadium is "dead in the water".

Despite speculation that he might be the casualty of the forthcoming DUP ministerial reshuffle, Edwin Poots appeared in good form during his question time. Asked about the numbers of people who claimed to speak the Irish language in the last census, he scoffed at those who ticked the box just because they could say "Tiocfaidh ár lá " . Who would have thought we would hear a DUP minister saying those three words from the despatch box?

Mr Poots claims to have been speaking to "leading professors" about a suitable definition of language skills which could be used for future censuses. Getting an agreement on that could prove harder than getting one on the Maze.

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As a teenager I tried a bit of karate, but gave it up after coming to the conclusion that, in the name of learning self defence, I was getting beaten up on a weekly basis.

So I asked Martina Purdy to do the dangerous job of covering a karate demonstration in the Long Gallery this lunchtime. The "Do Wado Kai" karate group were at Stormont to press their case for a new home in the Belfast, after being told they have to vacate their current premises.

The Culture Committee are supporting the karate enthusiasts and, for the benefit of the cameras, the Chair, Barry McElduff, and the Vice Chair, David McNarry were happy to stage a sham fight. Their instructor told them the sport was about teaching mutual respect, not fighting. But after a few words about whether the disused prison west of Lisburn should be called the Maze or Long Kesh, the Vice Chair looked ready to pummel the Chair into a corner of the Long Gallery.

Both politicians are officially "white belt" beginners, however Mr McElduff took an improvised "black belt" from his briefcase just to intimidate his opponent.

Next week the Greens host a junior chess tournament in the Long Gallery. Now that's the kind of combat I can cope with.

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I hear there's some unhappiness within police circles about yesterday's Northern Ireland Questions in the Commons. Our Security Minister Paul Goggins paid tribute to the courage of the police officer injured in a bomb attack in County Tyrone. The Minister, and then subsequently a number of MPs, went on to the identify the officer. The Questions, as usual, were broadcast live on BBC2.

Up until this point the officer's name had been kept out of the media, at the request of the police. This was consistent with the general policy on officers injured during the troubles. Apparently the police were surprised that the officer's name had been mentioned in the Commons and it's thought some senior police figures remain extremely unhappy.

However, the names of those officers injured by dissident republicans last year emerged in a similar fashion in the Commons, after the police urged the media not to name the officers for security reasons. Of course, one can argue that if dissident republicans have already attacked an officer it shows they already know who he or she is. But equally the police may argue that publishing the officer's name could further compromise their safety.

Whichever conclusion you come to, when you have the police advising one course of action and the Security Minister adopting another, it all begs the question, what is the official policy on anonymity?

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At the US Investment Conference I asked Gordon Brown about the chances of Downing Street gifting the Executive any further security bases rather than making them pay the market rate. He replied that this was the subject of continuing discussions. I assumed it might be tied in to negotiations on the possible devolution of justice. But, according to the Daily Telegraph, Gregory Campbell is linking the bases to the goverment's search for support for its 42 day detention plan for terror suspects.

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Caitriona Ruane's proposal for a transitional test for pupils leaving primary school has been described as a "climb down" by her critics, but defended as realistic, responsible politics by Sinn Fein. It will be discussed by the Executive tomorrow. So far grammar school supporters appear unimpressed, likening the three year transitional test to a "stay of execution" rather than a compromise.

What the minister's timetable does mean, however, is that academic selection will not have ended by the time of the next Assembly election in 2011. Instead the minister envisages that in 2011 grammar schools will be allowed to select only 30% of their pupils on an academic basis. She wants academic selection phased out altogether by 2013.

This poses an interesting selection question which is rather more political than academic.
Will the DUP, if it is the biggest party, select the Education department after the 2011 election? If so would a DUP Education Minister unravel Caitriona Ruane's plans?

Or does the DUP remain wedded to the idea of selecting Finance as first choice, on the grounds that the DFP Minister is the spider at the centre of the Executive web?

Caitriona Ruane recently bated the unionists by asking them "why didn't ye take it?" about the Education brief. Will the Executive parties have sorted the schools stand off out by 2011, or will the DUP once again be faced with the twin prongs of this Morton's Fork?

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On my recent transatlantic trip I headed for the cheap seats and a government official headed for the comfy ones. I just assumed that was the way it was. But now, skimming through this week's written answers, I see that there's internecine strife between the Executive parties over ministers' use of business class.

Sinn Fein's Daithi McKay has been asking other parties' ministers how far they have flown on business class. The DUP's Simon Hamilton has responded by asking Sinn Fein ministers the same thing. The SDLP's Margaret Ritchie has answered the same question from both MLAs.

So far as I can tell the business class league table since May 2007 is as follows (I shall update this when I get hold of any answers from other ministers):

1. DFM Martin McGuinness 7 business class flights £13,540
2. DSD Min. Margaret Ritchie 15 business flights £8,322 (plus 5 economy)
3. Junior Min. Gerry Kelly 6 business flights £5,678 plus 520 Euros
4. Finance Min. Peter Robinson 14 business flights £4,340
5. Environment Min. Arlene Foster 5 business flights £1,522
6. Health Min. Michael McGimpsey 4 business flights £1,210
7. Agriculture Min. Michelle Gildernew 1 business flight £310

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We had an understandably sober start to the Assembly proceedings this morning, with all the parties condemning the booby trap bomb attack on a police officer in County Tyrone. The politicians then queued up in the Great hall to assure us that those responsible had no meaningful support and the Stormont institutions are stable enough to withstand such provocations.

After that it was business as usual, with the parties tearing strips off each other during their final debate on the Victims and Survivors Bill. Accusations of hypocrisy were traded (ruled out of order by the Deputy Speaker) and a bizarre clash over whether there is such a party as "Provisional Sinn Fein". Francie Molloy and Gerry Kelly say it doesn't exist. Danny Kennedy insists it does.

The Ulster Unionist Basil McCrea has been on his feet again, not saving himself for today's debate suggesting Caitriona Ruane should set up an Executive sub-committee on the vexed question of post primary school transfer. Instead surprise, surprise, he has been crossing swords with Sammy, Jeffrey et al.

I don't know if it was anything to do with the BBC Politics Show naming him as "Best Newcomer", but last night a UUP press release named Basil as "the Ulster Unionist Education Minister". This morning they put out a clarification; "please see revised copy as previous had minor error referring to Basil as 'Minister'. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused." No inconvenience, whatsoever....

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There's been debate for some years about whether Belfast should have a "Troubles Museum". There's also the proposal for a "Conflict Interpretive Centre" at the Maze, which has led unionists to express fears about the potential creation of an "IRA shrine".

Now, courtesy of a Stormont Written Answer to the Ulster Unionist David McNarry, we learn a little about what the newly refurbished Ulster Museum has in mind.

The Museum will include a display devoted to "The Troubles". According to the Culture Minister, Edwin Poots, the display will cover the years from the late 1960s to the present, chronicling "many of the significant events and political developments of our recent past". Mr Poots says the display will be part of a wider history section under the working heading of "Plantation to Power Sharing".

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That's how our First Minister referred to Michael Bloomberg during his last question time at Stormont today. I think it was Ian Paisley's way of getting his own back on the New York Mayor who twice referred to the FM as "Pailey" when he spoke in the Great Hall last week.

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I am presuming that the eagle eyed Jim Wells is concerned that there is a nationalist conspiracy to shrink the size of the Union Flag fluttering over Stormont. That's all I can read into his question to the Assembly Commission contrasting the size of the flags flown over Parliament Buildings on 21st April 2008 and the size of the flags flown on the Queen's Birthdays in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

However, Robert Coulter, replying on behalf of the Commission, explains that there are two different kinds of Union Flags ready for the Security Services Branch of the Assembly Staff to fly. The full size (dimensions: 12 ft x 6 ft) can be unfurled on most days but the smaller version (dimensions: 7 ½ ft x 3 ¾ ft) is employed during stormy weather.

On 21st April 2008, it turns out that the 'storm' flags were flown. Why? The Commission says "the decision is subjective and is based on the weather conditions at the time and what is forecast for the remainder of the day. The decision must also reflect health & safety concerns i.e. the possibility that the full standard may with strong winds and wet weather break free from the flagpole and fall to the ground injuring a passer by".

As John Hume used to say "you can't eat a flag". But maybe you could get bumped on the head by one.

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That was the more polite thing John Prescott said about our Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, when he defected from the Tories, according to yesterday's interview in the the Sunday Times.

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Our Education Minister is set to unveil her proposals for replacing academic selection to the Executive next Thursday. This blog had already noted the apparent significance of the Sinn Fein back bench reshuffle Shoring Up Caitriona?

The DUP's Mervyn Storey claims the reshuffle is "a vote of no confidence" both in Paul Butler and Caitriona Ruane. But he doesn't think it will save the minister from "the crisis she has landed herself".

For John O'Dowd's take on both the back bench reshuffle and the chances of a front bench reshuffle, it's worth listening to Inside Politics at a quarter to one on Saturday on BBC Radio Ulster. He appears together with the Ulster Unionist Basil McCrea who is proposing the formation of an executive sub committee on post primary transfers during a debate to be held in the Assembly on Tuesday.

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A year on from the restoration of devolution, my colleagues on BBC NI's "Politics Show" have decided to assess the performance of our MLAs.

A panel made up of four political observers sat down and made their selection in four categories: Politician of the Year; Best Communicator; Best Newcomer and Political Moment of the year.

Arguably the most coveted award - Politician of the Year - saw a number of high profile names considered including Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, Margaret Ritchie, Peter Robinson, Arlene Foster and Michael McGimpsey among others.

In the Best Communicator category there was a general bemoaning of the quality of many of the MLAs abilities to communicate. As one panel member put it: "I'd say out of 108 MLAs, 100 you wouldn't pay to see."

Another commented: "The pool - or rather puddle - of talent is so shallow, it's hard to draw up a medium-length shortlist even."

MLAs who did win praise included Sammy Wilson, Basil McCrea, Danny Kennedy, Barry McElduff, who was described as a cheeky chappie, Naomi Long, the First and Deputy First Ministers and Gerry Adams.

In the Newcomer category, the panel singled out Basil McCrea, Anna Lo, Michelle McIlveen, Daithi McKay and Simon Hamilton. Eventually they came to a unanimous decision - as they did in all the categories.

The only dissension as such was over the Political Moment of the Year. Among the events considered were the meeting of Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley last March, Devolution Day May 8th, Iris Robinson being ejected from Stormont, Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness at Wall Street and with President Bush, and the resignation of Ian Paisley Jnr.

In the end it was all agreed amicably. To find out who the winners are, though, you'll have to join Jim Fitzpatrick for the Politics Show this Sunday starting at noon on BBC 1.

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That's what Sir Tony O'Reilly said about the government's hearing so far as calls for a lower regional rate of corporation tax here are concerned. But Gordon Brown showed no sign of giving ground on this score - he insisted that companies often pay a lower rate than the headline 28%, and declared his opposition to harmonising corporation tax rates across the European Union.

The Prime Minister did bring one pressie - telling the Executive they could keep the proceeds from sales of their assets to the tune of £2.2 billion. That's double the current figure. But is this an enormously generous gesture or an injunction to sell off the family silver at a time when the market price is rock bottom?

Executive sources are sceptical about whether they can get anywhere near the £2.2 billion figure. What was clear from Sir David Varney's recent report is that Belfast port is the big plum Whitehall believes can be plucked from the Executive's tree. But Stormont ministers are far from certain this would be such a good idea.

In his speech, urging us to bring down Belfast's barriers, the New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg did refer once or twice to First Minister "Pailey". But third time around he inserted the "s". So not quite a second "Dobbya-ism"..

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During his video message to the delegates at the US Investment Conference, I'm told that President Bush paid tribute to our Enterprise Minister "Minister Dobbs". Does this qualify as a "Dobbyaism"?

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Those who read my recent rant about the new security arrangements at Stormont Open for Business? will know that I am not averse to giving the Assembly a kick when I don't think they are proving sufficiently accessible.

However I think it's only fair that I should congratulate those members of staff who helped BBC Radio Ulster's "Good Morning Ulster" team with their extensive outside broadcast this morning. I thought the programme provided a good insight into various aspects of the Assembly building, from the canteen to the shop to the educational tours. It's lucky that the recent restrictions put in place around the building refer only to filming, not radio, or it would have been more of a headache to produce.

During the programme, the Culture Minister Edwin Poots talked about statues important to unionists which he said " were blew up" in the past. Subsequently a caller on the Nolan show took him to task for his grammar.

I see that a recent commenter on this blog also criticised John O'Dowd's grammar.

It's true that, as a contributor to Nolan argued, communication is extremely important and some of our MLAs are not exactly gifted with Martin Luther King type rhetorical skills.

But having interviewed Edwin Poots and watched him handle various committee hearings I think that, in general, he is quite a good communicator. Maybe this one has been "blew" out of all proportion.

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Flicking through this week's Stormont written answers, I came across a query from Sinn Fein's West Tyrone MP Pat Doherty which looks like the IFA/FAI Darron Gibson controversy, with added velocity.

Mr Doherty asks the Sports Minister Edwin Poots if he will make representations to the International Practical Shooting Sports body "to ensure that participants competing at international level from Northern Ireland can opt to represent Ireland in line with citizenship rights enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement".

The minister replies that "responsibility for representation and affiliation arrangements within the sport of International Practical Shooting is a matter, in the first instance, for the governing body of the sport, the UK Practical Shooting Association."

Which all begs the question, what is practical shooting? According to the UK Association website "the idea is simple. The shooter tackles competitive 'stages' requiring varying numbers of rounds and using different shooting positions, against the clock. The appeal of the sport lies in the diversity of the courses of fire available to the shooter - they are different for every match.. Targets vary in size, shape, position and material - metal, paper or frangible - from a variety of distances (usually from 3 to 60 yards)."

Amongst the competitions the UK Association supports are "Practical Shotgun, a demanding, testing and very rewarding discipline, as well as Mini-Rifle (.22 rifle), Long Barrel Revolver (LBR), Handgun, Gas Powered Pistol (GPP) which includes Airsoft and Rifle".

Taken aback by a question on shooting which had not been tabled by the DUP's Jim Shannon, I checked with the Sinn Fein MP as to whether he was a fan or exponent of "practical shooting". Mr Doherty told me he had no knowledge of it, but had been asked to raise the matter by a gun club near Strabane who want to shoot for Ireland.

However this latest row over UK or Irish affiliation is sorted out, let's hope no one gets caught in the cross border crossfire.

P.S. Thanks to Fluffy Sheep for pointing out my "Dobbyaism", which I have now corrected

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After the DUP's big farewell bash for Ian Paisley on May 30th, the DUP Executive will finally confirm Peter Robinson as leader on May 31st. No surprise there given this is the party's third bite at this particular cherry. On the same day the UUP is holding its Annual General Meeting. So will there be a challenge to Sir Reg Empey from within the party famous for its "stalking horses"?

My spies tell me that a piece of paper UUP MLAs were passing around during yesterday's debates was Sir Reg's leadership nomination form, which has to be in by Friday. Amongst those signing on the dotted line was the Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea, so that will scotch those rumours that the "ceasefire politician" (Copyright Jeffrey Donaldson) is plotting an early challenge to his party leader.

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Sinn Fein has just announced a back bench reshuffle, shifting John O'Dowd from chairing the Public Accounts Committee to become the party's education spokesperson. Paul Butler moves across to Enterprise, whilst Paul Maskey gets the role of chairing the powerful watchdog P.A. C.

What should we read into John O'Dowd's move? Is it an attempt to shore up Caitriona Ruane ahead of the minister bringing her proposals on academic selection to the Executive? The minister faces a fortnight of difficult debates in the Chamber, and there is no sign of it getting any easier.

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In their last meeting at the new Boyne Visitor Centre, the outgoing Taoiseach and the outgoing First Minister exchanged pledges to work towards a better future. Ian Paisley vowed that there would be "no turning back" to "the bad old days". Certainly the sight of the two men, flanked by two cannons, but engaging in no fights (sham or otherwise) represented a striking image of the new era.

I didn't travel down to the Boyne, but I did get a full copy of Ian Paisley's speech. It's structured around the initials of the Boyne.

B is for Boyne. O is for Orange Input. Y is for You and I. N is for No Turning Back. E is for Evermore.

What was the rhetorical inspiration for this "backronym"? Could Ian Paisley, shortly to wave goodbye to Martin McGuinness, have been thinking of the Dolly Parton ballad D.I.V.O.R.C.E? Or has he been humming the more upbeat D.I.S.C.O?

Or with Bertie just a cannon's length away, was he thinking of Cecelia Ahern's P.S. I Love You?

(P.S. I have been informed that I should have credited D.I.V.O.R.C.E to Tammy Wynette, not Dolly Parton!)

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After twice failing to bring the Victims Commission Bill forward for debate, the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister broke their duck today having agreed amendments designed to resolve the deadlock.

The proposals would give the First and Deputy First Ministers the option to appoint a Chief Commissioner, without requiring them to do so. The commission could decide some matters by a majority vote, but others, involving finance and its plan of work, would require unanimity. No one with a criminal conviction would be allowed to work for the Commission, unless the First and Deputy First Ministers give their prior approval.

Jim Shannon, Naomi Long, Basil McCrea (and then I lost count) insisted that noone should play "political football" with the victims. Of course this didn't stop anyone continuing to wrangle about the amendments. Despite that, the DUP and Sinn Fein have the votes to push their proposals through.

Going back to Jim, Naomi and Basil ( and I suppose Jennifer McCann too although she talked about "political point scoring"), it made me wonder which issue is it alright to play "political football" with? I suppose the Maze stadium might qualify, as that might be the only kind of football which ever gets played there. But I am open to any other suggestions.

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That's how Nigel Dodds sums up the mood of Labour MPs reflecting on the local election results in England and Wales. I drove up to his new north Belfast constituency office to record an interview with the Enterprise Minister for tomorrow's Inside Politics.

The programme covers next week's investment conference, the Independent Monitoring Commission's verdict on Paul Quinn's murder and the perspective of Westminister's 4th largest party on Labour's latest election setbacks.

The North Belfast MP plays his cards close to his chest when questioned about his party's attitude to the forthcoming vote on the detention of terror suspects for 42 days without charge. I got the sense that the soon to be DUP Deputy Leader is looking forward with some relish to the possibility of a future hung parliament.

You can hear the interview with Nigel Dodds in full on Inside Politics at a quarter to one tomorrow afternoon on BBC Radio Ulster.

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