The First Rough Draft
The Washington Post publisher Philip Graham is credited with calling journalism "the first rough draft of history". But when is a draft, a draft?
Earlier today a Stormont source told me that Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness had drafted a letter to the other Stormont parties inviting them to nominate their candidates for the future Justice department. But then another source insisted it wasn't a draft just " a few words on paper". Either way, the words have not been worked up into the form that the two ministers are ready to sign and put in the internal post.
My original source told me not to make too much of this as it was an administrative, rather than a political move. But certainly if such a letter were sent out it would contrast with statements like the one Gregory Campbell made on the Nolan show this morning when he doubted whether a date for devolving justice could be set before Christmas - something Martin McGuinness previously warned would spell "deep trouble".
Within the last hour I had a chat with the US Economic Envoy, Declan Kelly, who remains optimistic that the First and Deputy First are "working through the issues" and can achieve a "desirable outcome".
I'm 
Comments