A Rude Awakening
I was woken from my slumber at about 6.30 a.m. to be told about the on a new crisis, sorry, kerfuffle in the Executive. Half asleep, I learned it involved the Regional Development Strategy and got worried in case it meant getting across highly technical matters which I might not understand even when wide awake (e.g. what is the correct diameter for Belfast's sewerage, what should be the camber on any new motorway).
However after a couple of phone calls I got my head around it. The row over involved references to "Northern Ireland" being changed to "the North" and so on.
Jim Allister complained about the language in the document back in August. Now Peter Robinson has written to Conor Murphy expressing his anger at what he says are 157 changes made to the text as agreed by the Executive.
In one sense, I suppose this could be construed as fundamental, given that Sinn Fein's Regional Development Strategy is to strategically develop this region into being part of another jurisdiction. On the other hand, I can see why Naomi Long calls it breathtaking "pettiness".
Either way, I want my 30 minutes sleep back...
UPDATE: A senior Stormont source told me this latest row is indicative of the increasingly poor personal chemistry between ministers and expressed concern that the DUP and Sinn Fein might be getting themselves into positions from which it is difficult to back out. So maybe I am due more rude awakenings...
I'm 
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