A pointless inquiry?
Alliance say it's an old story - but the reference I made to David Ford's errant e-mail on this blog back in November was little more than a glancing reference, given that we did not have the text of his e-mail at that stage. There's little doubt that the full version has now been leaked because it's a more politically damaging time. But whatever the motivation for the leak, the disclosure that the Alliance leader referred to the Bloody Sunday inquiry as "pointless" poses him some difficulties ahead of the final nomination of a future Justice Minister. That said, the fact that Sinn Fein accompanied their criticism by suggesting Mr Ford should meet with the Bloody Sunday families could be a hint that they are prepared to help him find a way to extricate himself from his extended e-mail woes. As I write I gather that meeting is due to take place tonight.
Of course whether or not we have a local Justice Minister will depend to a large extent on next Tuesday's vote in the Assembly. The UUP continue to insist that the time is not right for devolving justice whilst the DUP argue (as Nigel Dodds did on Inside Politics) that they won't go it alone without UUP support.
However a number of things are happening behind the scenes. Sir Reg Empey has been having meetings with the DUP and Sinn Fein. The Ulster Unionist leader is also co-chairing with Margaret Ritchie a working group on improving the operations of the Executive which was set up as part of the Hillsborough deal. Caitriona Ruane and Arlene Foster are the Sinn Fein and DUP representatives on the committee. An interim report from that group is believed to be imminent.
The group has been looking at housekeeping matters - such as allowing SDLP and UUP advisors to attend Executive meetings and stopping policy papers being sprung on the smaller parties at the last minute. But there's also talk of more radical measures to change the way the Executive operates, with some sources talking about extending the vetoes currently enjoyed by the DUP and Sinn Fein to the UUP and the SDLP.
That might please the smaller parties, but couldn't it be a recipe for yet more deadlock? Back in his Ulster Hall speech last September the DUP leader Peter Robinson pledged that "in circumstances where the UUP and SDLP make a good faith effort to work constructively on matters in the Executive DUP Ministers would insist that all decisions will only be taken by consensus and we will not use our votes to override their opposition." But the UUP and the SDLP would want more than a promise from the DUP to satisfy them.
Other UUP concerns which have been raised (outside the Hillsborough sub committee) include changing the way the First and Deputy First Ministers are chosen in order to stave off the prospect of a Sinn Fein First Minister in the future, making real progress on academic selection and appointing a UUP minister to the justice portfolio rather than Alliance.
Which brings us back to David Ford's e-mail difficulties. I remain convinced he's long been the DUP and Sinn Fein's first choice for the job, but could his throw away Bloody Sunday remark make the prospect of a UUP minister more attractive to Sinn Fein? Much will now depend on the response of the Bloody Sunday famiiles when they meet the Alliance leader tonight.
I'm 
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