The vanishing opposition
With both Michael McGimpsey and Margaret Ritchie pronouncing themselves satisfied with their latest allocations from the Finance Minister Peter Robinson, Stormont is suffering a serious outbreak of sweetness and light. Okay some UUP backbenchers are calling for Iris Robinson to resign as Health Committee chair, and the party is withholding its position on water charges, but in general terms it's hard to see the Ulster Unionists blocking this budget after Minister McGimpsey (is he the Jack Nicholson of the Executive?) has pronounced this "As Good As It Gets".
Having just come off air on Stormont Live I have been asked by the main news website to write a budget analysis. Anyone au fait with my knowledge of finance will know that this task has all the promising prospects of a US sub prime mortgage. But I shall do my best, and post the analysis in the extended entry once I have it finished.
For now, although nothing can be totally taken for granted, it feels like the talk of an "opposition within" may recede for a while. When the programme for government and budget come to a decision next week the only votes certain to be negative are Alliance ones.
I'm 
