Ashen faced politicians
It should have been Margaret Ritchie who made a joke about it as Ash is after all a Downpatrick based rock group. But Michelle Gildernew was the first to inject this week's eruption into the local campaign. She started a Sinn Fein event by thanking Iceland for sending us the cloud of volcanic ash, on the basis that as Agriculture Minister she hoped it would provide good fertiliser for farmers.
Whilst Sinn Fein were occupying an upstairs bar at the Waterfront, the SDLP had a more period setting in the old poor house, Clifton House in North Belfast. Various eighteenth century dignitaries looked down on us, and a musket was prominently displayed at the back of the room, as Ms Ritchie had a go at Sinn Fein for promising an "unrealistic" date of 2016 for Irish unity (I didn't get to check when would be realistic).
Over at the Sinn Fein event Gerry Adams claimed his party was providing leadership, and again criticised the SDLP leader for refusing to meet him (SDLP sources told me off for repeating this on Tuesday - they say their leader will meet Mr Adams, although she wants to discuss not pacts, but the economy and a shared future).
On the margins of both party's events politicians chatted about this afternoon's publication of a draft bill on parades. Will it change anything, or is it just the "Parades Commission Mark II" as David McNarry and Tom Elliot dubbed it? Does that matter if the Orange Order takes the opportunity of the rebranding exercise to start engaging in dialogue?
The new Justice Minister David Ford attended his first Executive meeting this afternoon. Under the draft bill he would get the power to ban a parade which currently rests with the Secretary of State. However he would have to get the joint backing of both the First and Deputy First Ministers before exercising this power - how likely is that?
UPDATE: Latest indications are that the draft bill now might not be published today.
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