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So last night after an extensive courtship, the Ulster Unionists and the Conservatives finally consummated their relationship and are now officially linked together under their rather unwieldy but politically expedient name of "Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force". Cue inappropriate wisecracks about the Third Force and the NF.

Alternatively you can visit which bills them more snappily as just "Conservatives and Unionists", and which in an earlier incarnation had claimed to be the official website of the two parties' Joint Committee.

In the joint spirit of the new experiment I invited both Sir Reg Empey and Owen Paterson to talk to me for tomorrow's Inside Politics. Amongst the topics covered in our discussion are the likely attitude of the party's only MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon, to the "New Force", how a future Conservative government might tackle the designation system at Stormont and whether Sir Reg will take the opportunity provided by David Burnside's resignation to add a woman to his all male team.

As usual the programme will be broadcast on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster at 12.45 pm.

P.S. Whether it's a political success or not, the "New Force" promises to be good news for whoever gets

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