"The DUP can whistle"
The official position is that the DUP will meet at 5pm to decide whether or not to back Gordon Brown over 42 days, but over at the Daily Mail, Benedict Brogan seems pretty much convinced they will vote with the government. If so he predicts vengeance from the Tories once they get in to power: If I had to make a bet at this point I think I would also back the DUP voting with Gordon Brown. We shall have to analyse future financial matters (guarantees on the policing budget, the transfer of security bases?) in order to see if there has been any tacit understanding underpinning their decision. Both the party and the government deny anything so venal as a deal.
The DUP have clearly enjoyed being in the spotlight in the run up to tonight's vote. As I think again about this week's Stormont reshuffle I wonder if Peter Robinson had Westminster on his mind in more ways than one. Obviously he has now brought more MPs into his team, increasing them to four out of five. But by promising to consider a reshuffle in 18 months' time he seems to be mindful of the next Westminster election. Could a reshuffle free up the MPs to prepare to defend their constituencies without facing accusations of holding down ministerial office at the same time? If that's the logic then MLAs who aren't MPs or Westminster candidates could be the ones to benefit.
One small consequence of the reshuffle which also has a Westminster aspect could be a shift in the timing of the weekly Stormont Education Committee, which used to provide so much banter between Sammy Wilson and Caitriona Ruane.The committee met on Fridays to accomodate the East Antrim MP's parliamentary timetable, but now the North Antrim MLA Mervyn Storey is in the chair watch for it moving earlier in the week, maybe starting in the autumn.
I'm 
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