Opposing Versions
Earlier today I spoke to the Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who remains exercised about the unwillingness of the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP to back the budget. Last week Mr McGuinness said the Ulster Unionists had been talking to the Northern Ireland Office about funding an opposition. That's something Tom Elliott has made no secret of - he told Martina Purdy he hoped the government would address the issue in their so called "Normalisation Bill".
But today the Deputy First Minister widened the accusation to the SDLP, claiming he had information that the party had also been involved in discussions on funding an opposition. He mentioned Margaret Ritchie by name.
Both Ms Ritchie and Alasdair McDonnell were quick to deny this - accusing Sinn Fein of "kite flying". When I spoke to a government source, they also said that in recent meetings between the NIO and the SDLP the question of funding an opposition had not been raised.
However tonight Sinn Fein hit back - claiming that Mr McGuinness's information had come directly from the Secretary of State Owen Paterson, at meeting with the Deputy First Minister at which note takers were present.
So we have diametrically opposing versions. Sinn Fein are concerned about the matter not just because it feeds into the short term tensions over the budget, but also because they believe this discussion could pave the way towards a "voluntary coalition" which could see republicans excluded from ministerial office.
Although the former SDLP leader Mark Durkan coined the phrase about Stormont's "ugly scaffolding" the party's position is that it's not the Good Friday Agreement system which has to change, but rather the behaviour of the major parties.
Expect more claim and counter claim as the May 5th elections draw closer.
UPDATE: The NIO tonight said that during his meeting with Martin McGuinness, Owen Paterson did raise the hypothetical possibility of the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP going into opposition in the future and asked Sinn Fein's view. However the NIO say their notes don't include a reference to Margaret Ritchie and they acknowledge that the SDLP themselves has NOT raised the opposition option. The NIO says its position is that no changes to the Stormont system will be made without the agreement of the local parties.
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