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We are heading into a potentially busy fortnight. As we've already noted the Ulster Unionists are due to hold their North Down selection meeting on Friday March 5th. With that in mind the Conservatives and Unionists should then be moving to confirm their remaining 9 candidates. Over the weekend the Newsletter reported that the former senior police officer, Norman Baxter, had counted himself out of the running in Fermanagh South Tyrone. This has put paid to speculation that he might emerge as a single unionist candidate to fight Michelle Gildernew.

The DUP also have some interesting selection meetings coming up - I hear Monday March 8th has been pencilled in for North Antrim and Wednesday March 10th for Strangford. Should Ian Paisley Senior's reticence about talking about North Antrim in his recent Newsletter interview be taken as a sign that he intends to bow out? If so will it fall to Ian Paisley Junior to take on Jim Allister in a head on struggle for the soul of hardline unionism? So far as Strangford is concerned, will the DUP trust to the local profile of hunting, shooting and fishing man Jim Shannon to contrast itself with the celebrity candidacy of Mike Nesbitt?

Amidst all these beauty contests, however, some other dates could change the political context in which the Westminster election takes place. Next Saturday March 6th I shall be in Dublin for the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis. But north of the border there is a potentially more significant gathering so far as the future of the Hillsborough deal is concerned.

The Orange Order's Grand Lodge is expected to reconsider what progress has been made on parading. Its members are likely to want to know more details of what the DUP Sinn Fein working party on parading has in mind before indicating if they are happy with the marching elements of the deal. The timing of this meeting is important, as it falls a few days before March 9th, the date pencilled in for MLAs to hold a cross community vote requesting the transfer of justice powers from Westminster to Stormont. The DUP has previously indicated that if they weren't happy with the way the deal is being implemented their MLAs might not walk into the lobby.

Of course the Orange view is only one element amongst the DUP's often repeated requirement for "community confidence". That brings us to today's "Inside Politics" during which Nigel Dodds told me that progress would not be able to happen if the UUP voted against or abstained in the vote on March 9th. The DUP Deputy Leader described it as potentially "a very very serious situation."

My UUP guest Fred Cobain expressed a degree of incredulity. How, he asked, could Peter Robinson talk so passionately about his belief in the Hillsborough deal, then have his deputy indicate that DUP MLAs won't back it if their UUP counterparts don't join them in the yes lobby?

Equally, though, the DUP ask how David Cameron can publically endorse Hillsborough, whilst his local allies in the UUP seem to take such a different line?

Tomorrow Peter Robinson is due to make some remarks on education - might these nod at the UUP concerns about academic selection, which they have linked to the overall deal?

And come March 9th will UUP support be essential, as some DUP sources insist, or is it just an added extra for the First Minister? Can Hillsborough live with or without the UUP?

I went to Newry today to attend the funeral of a friend. En route I drove past the entrance to the courthouse damaged by the bomb earlier this week. It's a very solid building but it clearly took a pounding. Then I made my way to the south of the town, near where the old Cloghogue checkpoint used to be. It brought back memories of darker days when I would have been driving frantically around the border area trying to gather pictures or interviews on incidents like the murder of the Hanna family or the ambush of Lord Justice Gibson. I recalled interviewing locals fearful that their properties could get caught in the frequent IRA attacks on the border security bases.

Bearing this in mind, it was good to see the old observation tower long gone and a golf driving range on top of a nearby snowy hill. Nevertheless, after this week's attack on the courthouse, and the Real IRA murder of Kieran Doherty in Londonderry, many feel a sense of real anxiety about the possibility we could be slipping back into more troubled times.

Whilst in Newry I got a call to head for Downpatrick, where the veteran MP Eddie McGrady had something to say. Driving via Hilltown, the scenes to either side of the road looked strikingly alpine.

Sitting in Mr McGrady's offices, which are decked out with black and white photos of the highlights from his long career, also made me quite nostalgic about filming him decades ago when Margaret Ritchie was best known as his office assistant. Just last September, Mr McGrady sent out signals that he would stand one more time for Westminster. But now he has had a rethink, deciding at 74 that it's time to go.

The decision poses a headache for Margaret Ritchie, who is already holding down three jobs as MLA, Social Development Minister and Party Leader. Mark Durkan stepped down because he wanted to concentrate on just one job, defending his seat in Foyle. Although Eddie McGrady wouldn't endorse any successor he told me that he would have no objection if his new leader followed in his footsteps by going to Westminster. There's strong speculation that she will put her hat in the ring, in which case you would think that something - perhaps her ministerial portfolio - would have to give.

However before Ms Ritchie needs to make that decision there's the not inconsiderable matter of geting elected. Sinn Fein have already chosen the Education Minister Caitriona Ruane as their candidate. Republicans were bouyed up by Bairbre De Brun's performance in South Down during last year's European election (as reflected in informal tallies). Nevertheless the SDLP claim to be confident of defending the seat, and no doubt unionist tactical voting may play a part.

I'm at Stormont where in a few minute's time David Ford is expected to confirm that he will put his name forward for the post of local Justice Minister. Earlier in the week Alliance got what they were asking for in terms of an agreement on a new Cohesion, Sharing and Integration strategy, which has not yet been published but has been circulated around the departments for their comments. It's also understood that the party has a letter from the First and Deputy First Ministers addressing its concerns around future justice policy.

The fact that, amidst their concentration on parades, the DUP and Sinn Fein were able to get these documents together in time for an Alliance party council meeting last night seems to confirm that Mr Ford remains the favourite for the job. Some sources suggest that the SDLP and UUP criticism of the Hillsborough deal over the last couple of weeks have served to strengthen that probability.

Alliance has frequently said that the personality of the future minister is not as important as the difference devolving justice will make in policy terms. In this regard the complaints of the family of Thomas Devlin about their treatment by the local Public Prosecution Service raise obvious concerns. Thomas's mother, Penny Holloway, says that the Service declined to push ahead with a trial of the two men who have now been convicted of her son's murder because they did not think the chances of securing a conviction were high enough.

The family fought the decision, demanding a review. Initially an internal review within Northern Ireland reaffirmed the refusal to prosecute, and it was only after the Devlins wrote to the Attorney General in London, Baroness Scotland, that a furher review conducted by a senior prosecutor from England was ordered. That review led to the decision to prosecute which was vindicated in the courts this week.

Last year, making a "Beyond Westminster" programme for Radio 4, I spoke to the sister of Harry Holland, Geraldine McAteer, about her family's frustrations with the criminal justice system. The Hollands also appealed to Baroness Scotland to reconsider aspects of the handling of their case. Geraldine McAteer's hope at that time was that devolving justice might lead to a legal system more sympathetic and receptive to the views of victims.

However the Devlin case raises questions about whether the PPS here applies the same standards as the CPS in England. In a strange way the continuing role of a London based Attorney General appears to have assisted the Devlin family in their fight to overturn the original decision not to prosecute their son's killers. Will that option still be open to families after the devolution of justice? And will there be any noticeable change in the attitude of the PPS once a local Attorney General and local Justice Minister are in place?

Assembly proceedings began today with statements of condemnation from all sides for the Newry courthouse bomb. With the dissidents not represented in the chamber these sessions have something of the aspect of "put me down for the usual", the phrase an old Northern Ireland MP was reputed to use to newspaper copy takers when another attack occurred in his constituency.

That said, the Ulster Unionist Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy accused the Chief Constable and the Secretary of State of being complacent about the dissident threat - a charge they would no doubt deny. Shaun Woodward by contrast seemed to be turning the focus more on to Mr Kennedy's UUP and the SDLP when he responded to the bomb by calling for a unanimous vote in favour of devolution of justice on March 9th. The TUV, in turn, called the logic of that argument "perverted".

Amidst the political expressions of anger there's a huge amount of relief that there were no casualties last night. I'm not convinced the bombing will change the policies of the various parties towards the deal - the UUP continue to appear less than impressed with the deal.

My colleague Stephen Walker has compiled a list of 17 agreed UUP nominees for the Westminster election. The missing seat is, of course, North Down. A selection meeting is expected to be held there on Friday March 5th.

Here are the 17

North Antrim - Robin Swann
South Antrim - Adrian Watson
East Antrim- Rodney McCune
North Belfast - Fred Cobain
West Belfast - Bill Manwaring
South Belfast - Paula Bradshaw
East Belfast - Trevor Ringland
Strangford - Mike Nesbitt
South Down - John McAllister
Lagan Valley - Daphne Trimble
Upper Bann - Harry Hamilton
Newry and Armagh - Danny Kennedy
Fermanagh and South Tyrone - Tom Elliot
Mid Ulster - Sandra Overend
West Tyrone - Ross Hussey
Foyle - David Harding
East Londonderry - Lesley McAuley

They don't become candidates until they are ratified by a Joint Conservative and Unionist Committee - there is still no sign of when this will convene. A UUP Executive had been due to meet tomorrow to sign off on a final list, but although it may meet, given the North Down arrangements, it's clear that such a final list will not be available.

If the joint committee approves Adrian Watson in South Antrim it will be interesting to see if creates any further waves over in London.

Westminster candidates are now coming out of the woodwork so fast it's hard to keep track of them. The TUV added Keith Harbinson today in Lagan Valley, whilst we had the local MP Jeffrey Donaldson confirming he'll be defending his seat there earlier this week, plus the release of a similar statement from Gregory Campbell in East Londonderry.

Gerry Adams' predictable defence of West Belfast came accompanied with the revelation that his wife Colette is being treated for cancer. In North Antrim we've still yet to hear who will carry the DUP's banner but the TUV leader Jim Allister made good on his threat to storm the Paisley stronghold. There's the added complication of another hardline unionist Lyle Cubitt probably throwing his hat in the ring - could that cost Jim Allister a few vital votes?

Of course we've already had Mike Nesbitt's high profile conversion to Ulster Unionism, and today one of those he beat for the nomination in Strangford, Colonel Colin Heron, has complained about what he calls the "parallel process" involving the former Victims Commissioner.

There had been due to be a meeting of the Conservative and Ulster Unionist Joint Committee today to determine an almost final list of candidates, but it didn't happen. That's partly, I gather, because one of its members was away in Monte Carlo on business (some people have all the luck).

If that meeting had gone ahead, the UUP would have hoped to have held an executive this weekend to ratify their joint candidates with the Conservatives. However it's been put back (seemingly for the umpteenth time) not just because of the Monte Carlo diversion, but more to give the UUP leadership a few more days to try to resolve its North Down headache.

There's discussion of Lady Sylvia Hermon getting "special dispensation" to run as an Ulster Unionist in North Down without taking the Tory whip. But should this be treated at face value? Or is it just an attempt by the UUP to show they have done their utmost to keep her in the fold? Given the apparently categorical Conservative insistence that she must take the Tory whip, has Sir Reg Empey got any room for manouevre?

We are now told the UUP Executive will be convened on Wednesday, although it still seems doubtful that North Down will be sorted out by then.

If a way is found for Lady Sylvia to be the candidate maybe the matter can be fast tracked. If not, any other candidates who come forward before nominations close at 5pm on Tuesday will presumably have to be given some time to make their case. That said, if the outgoing MP defends her seat as an independent it still seems most likely that the UCUNF Joint Committee will give the task of fighting her to a Conservative - potentially the former Alliance Euro candidate Ian Parsley.

After I posted up an entry on the 2012 sunset clause still hanging over the Hillsborough deal, someone contacted me to point out that if there is another crisis at that point the potential consequences of failure would be greater than the resignation of either the First or Deputy First Ministers.

According to evidence given to the Assembly and Executive Review Committee in officials testified that if the matter is not resolved in 2012 there is no "hidden fallback mechanism". Instead they argued "the consequence would be that the Department of Justice would be dissolved on 1 May 2012", with no provision for its powers to revert anywhere. The officials argued that this would create "a constitutional conundrum, but the theory is that that imposes on the Assembly the requirement to do something about it before that."

According to my source what would dissolve along with the department would be its constituent parts, such as the Prison Service. I can't imagine ever having to hang around outside some negotiations with the imminent prospect that prisoners will be set free if the talks don't succeed, but as "clever devices" go this doomsday scenario takes some beating.

Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness invited journalists into Stormont Castle this morning for an on the record briefing. Probably the most newsworthy aspect was their revelation that they are looking for three options for addressing the plight of the 10,000 savers at the Presbyterian Mutual Society.

Plan A is a commercial option, with a bank currently conducting "due diligence" on the society's assets. Plan B is described as a "Northern Ireland solution with Treasury support", presumably something similar to Plan A but with a big cheque written by Whitehall. Plan C, the least favoured option, is a "hardship fund" to help out those individuals who have suffered the most because of the loss of their savings.

The ministers stressed that Plan C was not their favoured option, but the fact that it got a mention must raise concerns that Plan A is not making as much headway as the politicians would have hoped.

The FM and DFM expressed optimism that their parades working group would hit the Tuesday deadline for a report on new structures to deal with contentious marches. But they did not commit to publishing that report, indicating only that it would be forwarded to the legal draftsmen and that the public would see any legislation they might produce.

The two ministers once again portrayed their Hillsborough deal as the chance for a fresh start. Mr McGuinnness said "Peter and I are prepared to work together. We have had difficulties in the past. As far as I am concerned they are in the past." Mr Robinson added "We would be the first to put our hands up and say the issue of policing and justice has been toxic in OFMDFM (the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister).
It has held back a lot of other work."

Questioned about plans for a US Investment conference, Mr Robinson said this needed to be properly prepared and may go ahead in the autumn. Gordon Brown referred to this happening in the spring during his Hillsborough news conference, but subsequently the NIO clarified that he had misspoken and had simply been referring to the traditional St. Patrick's Day visit to Washington. However it now seems that a conference of some kind is on track for the autumn.

As I write this the two politicians are giving evidence to a Stormont Committee, repeating a broadly similar message. The feistiest exchange so far came between Peter Robinson and the SDLP's Declan O'Loan who had talked about the Hillsborough deal having "potential" but questioned why the Parades Commission should be replaced. The First Minister responded by telling MLAs that sitting on the sidelines "whinging and gurning" about the agreement is not an option for politicians if they want to unlock the full potential of the deal.

Like Arnie and Peter Robinson before me, I'm back. It looks like you were busy when I was away (143 comments - should I be entering this as a personal best for the qualifying rounds for the 2012 blogging Olympiad?)

What's happened whilst I was away - well the Ulster Unionists made education their bottom line for supporting the Hillsborough deal, although Sir Reg Empey has gone ahead and started co-chairing the committee on improving the working of the Stormont executive in any case. Will the public reward the UUP for putting academic selection above parades and minority languages as their confidence building measure of first choice? Or will they agree with Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd that this is a "silly" manouevre?

The UUP has been busy on other fronts. in the run up to a UUP Executive which is meant to endorse a final list of joint UCUNF candidates on Saturday, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ learned that the former UTV presenter Mike Nesbitt was selected as Strangford candidate yesterday. He is expected to quit as Victims Commissioner with immediate effect. So, given the Iris Robinson affair, is the DUP's 13,000 local majority under threat? And who would be best placed to protect it, Jim Shannon, Jim Wells or Simon Hamilton?

Sir Christopher Kelly dipped his toe in the Stormont waters today, telling the local Standards Committee that they should include two lay people on future inquiries into MLAs' conduct, so that the public does not belive the politicians are operating as a cartel. He also says a future Standards Commissioner should be able to launch their own inquiries.

During the committee hearing there was no reference to specific cases, but first on Good Morning Ulster then again in the Stormont Great Hall Sir Christopher was asked about whether the barrister's opinion Peter Robinson relied upon to resume his duties as First Minister should be published. Sir Christopher replied in the affirmative saying "doubts" would remain until there is full transparency.

Whilst the SDLP reckons Peter Robinson should heed this advice, the First Minister says he is disappointed and thinks Sir Christopher was "unwise to say the least" to be drawn into matters of which he is unfamilar. The DUP leader insists he has nothing to fear from publishing advice favourable to him, but warns that "matters relating to other persons named in the opinion cannot be released in a routine or reckless fashion". he also accuses the media and particularly the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ of trying to create the false impression that he doesn't want Paul Maguire's advice published.

As a side bar the SDLP's Declan O'Loan took a fairly sharp swipe at Shaun Woodward today. Speaking in a personal capacity, rather than as chair of the Stormont Standards Committee, Mr O'Loan said it had been "extremely improper" for Mr Woodward to say Mr Robinson has "cleared his name" whilst there are still Assembly and Westminster committee inquiries pending.

According to Peter Robinson we could be competing for gold in the negotiating Olympics in 2012. But was it just a joke?

Besides being an Olympic year, 2012 is the date when the sunset clause in the Justice Ministry legislation kicks in. Earlier this week, speaking on Good Morning Ulster, the DUP Deputy Leader Nigel Dodds indicated he did not think a Sinn Fein Justice Minister would be possible on the other side of 2012.

But telling Margaret Ritchie off for dismissing the Hillsborough agreement, Gerry Adams stresses the temporary nature of the cross community appointment, explaining that "the fact is that Sinn Féin has made a temporary arrangements to 2012 to ensure that the legislative Assembly can legislate on policing and justice issues. As part of this we have set aside Sinn Féin's rightful claim to the Justice Ministry in return for the DUP doing the same." Mr Adams goes on to describe the arrangements as "interim".

Maybe we should hear from Gordon Brown on this score. Questioned about the Sunset Clause by David Cameron on Monday the Prime Minister told MPs "as for 2012- the point at which people have got to consider again the issue of the Department of Justice -it is true to say that the parties agreed that it should not at this point be changed, and that to do so might have made it more difficult to get the agreement they have. However, I have no doubt that if the devolution of policing and justice works, all parties will want it to move forward in exactly the way that has been designed, including after 2012."

But of course Mr Brown may not the Prime Minister by then, and there's also the little matter of the next Assembly elections in 2011 to get over before the Sunset Clause kicks in.

Over in London there's been a bit of a stir about a Conservative candidate from Banbridge, who temporarily withdrew her candidacy before returning to the Cameron fold.

Could the same happen here? I hear that the three Tories who withdrew their names in protest over the delay in the joint selection process with the UUP and the secret Hatfield House talks are once again considering putting their hats back in the ring provided they resolve certain "issues". That said some sources suggest to me that whilst Deirdre Nelson and Sheila Davidson might be welcomed back, Peter McCann may have burned his bridges with the Conservatives.

The two parties' Joint Committee is due to meet next week to finalise its candidate list (probably on February 19th) with the formal rubber stamping of the list by an Ulster Unionist Executive on February 20th. So watch out for developments before then.

P.S. Deirdre Nelson has been in touch with me to emphasise that Hatfield House was the reason the three disgruntled Tories quit.

As there's still quite a focus on exactly what the "clever device" might be which Peter Robinson might use if the Hillsborough agreement goes horribly wrong, it's maybe worth attracting people's attention again to this I wrote on Friday which contained the sentence "there's also speculation that the first minister could threaten his resignation if he believes republicans have not stuck to their side of the bargain by December - the date by which the new parades structures should come into force." My educated guess is that the DUP leader might have a post dated letter of resignation ready to activate in that event.

Certainly this would be consistent with Jeffrey Donaldson's interview with Stephen Nolan late on Friday night.

Tonight we are expecting the announcement of the 6 strong parades working group. It will be made up by 3 MLAs from the DUP and 3 from Sinn Fein. I haven't yet got all the names but I wouldn't be surprised if Gerry Kelly and Nelson McCausland are members.

Whilst there were plenty of plaudits for our local politicians in the Commons today when the Prime Minister gave a statement on the Hillsborough accord, the irony was that the timing of the debate in Westminster helped de-rail one fo the first stages in the timetable contained in the agreement. Peter Robinson attended the debate and told MPs that the support of other parties was essential. However when attempts were made to convene a meeting of party leaders to discuss candidates for the Justice job it became clear that Sir Reg Empey was double booked - he had fixed a meeting of his party officers and MLAs. It now looks like this first step will take place tomorrow morning.

Margaret Ritchie announced that Alban Maginness would now be her choice for the Justice job, but will she give her Social Development Minister job to someone else? It's easier to give up a potential job than a real one. Ms ritchie was ushered away without taking any questions, prompting Eamon Mallie to complain loudly that this was the way the DUP handled their news conferences. A new era in SDLP media management, perhaps?

No doubt Margaret Ritchie has been getting lots of congratulations from colleagues after winning the SDLP leadership election. But Gerry Adams' warm wishes came highly qualified.

The Sinn Fein President said "I wish Margaret Ritchie well in her difficult job, and I hope that this will usher in new era of constructive and forward looking politics from the SDLP."

Has anyone out there received a more limp congratulation than that after getting a promotion?

Driving into Newcastle to attend today's SDLP conference you couldn't help but notice Margaret Ritchie's posters on the lampposts and a giant billboard parked in the car park of the Slieve Donard hotel. It looked more like a general election was underway than an internal party battle.

Ms Ritchie's posters said "Vote for Change" but her final speech to the party faithful before the close of the leadership ballot stressed her long membership of the SDLP and her loyalty to John Hume and Mark Durkan. By contrast Alasdair McDonnell seemed more brutally honest about the plight of the party and what it must do to arrest what he called its current drift. He pledged to increase its Assembly team to 20 at next year's election. But Ms Ritchie seemed to get warmer applause - is that a harbinger for tomorrow?

During our live conference programme the Social Development Minister confided she hadn't been told about the Hillsborough proposal that she should chair a sub-group on reforming the Executive in advance of its publication. She didn't refuse the offer outright but made it clear she wasn't impressed by how the invitation had arrived.

Mark Durkan's final leadership speech contained quite a few good jokes (although none as memorable as Peter Robinson's gold medal for negotiating quip). His best lines included being "the only politician who ever got into hot water for sleeping with his wife", Jim Allister as "the man who takes all the 'fun' out of fundamentalist", the Ulster Unionists "lining up more partners than Tiger Woods" and the SDLP delegates getting plagued so much by both leadership candidates that they had "more messages in your inbox than Selwyn Black".

Tomorrow the party will have a new leader. But can the new man or new woman turn its fortunes around so that the SDLP can "dream big dreams" as its outgoing leader hopes (that's what President Obama wrote as a message to Mr Durkan's four year old daughter). Or with Sinn Fein dominant and the possibility of Fianna Fail encroaching at a council and Assembly level, must the party settle for a more limited role in the future? With the result not due until noon I don't imagine either leadership candidate will be getting the best night's sleep of their lives, whether or not they have any dreams.

I'm afraid the pressure of news coverage has limited my ability to blog today, but for those of you who haven't seen it I did contribute

I am off home now, but there's no rest for the wicked as I shall be back at work for tomorrow's SDLP conference, which we are covering live with a TV conference special. Then Inside Politics, which mark carruthers is going to take over this Suinday again, will have the new SDLP leader. Who are you backing, Margaret Ritchie or Alasdair McDonnell?

There's no better way to fight exhaustion I find than a second breakfast. I'm sat in the corner of Chime's Cafe at Hillsborough, which has become such as regular haunt over the last two weeks of marathon talks that they now bring me scrambled eggs and mushrooms without having to ask for an order.

We're all just beginning to look at the fine print of the Hillsborough Agreement. The politicians intend to start work quickly with the appointment of a working group on parades this coming Monday and a meeting of party leaders to identify a future justice minister on the same day.

Then, the timetable continues through a March cross community vote and in April, transfer of justice powers and a December law putting into place new parading structures.

Of course, this deal is just as important for what won't happen as what will.

We will now not see Martin McGuinness's resignation or the collapse of the Stormont Assembly.

Amidst the high-flown rhetoric, it's wise to still inject some notes of caution. The Ulster Unionists have yet to declare their hand, although one imagines their allies, the Conservatives, will pressurise them not to stand in the way of the deal.

Also, this remains only an interim measure - remember that the law providing for the cross-community appointment of a justice minister has a sunset clause, meaning it will expire in 2012 if the parties do not agree on its extension.

But for now, I think commentators can be forgiven a sense of jubilation - that's not a political statement, just a human reaction for the prospect of getting some time off.

PS - Martin McGuinness said that today could be the day politics here comes of age which prompted me to suggest on the TV that if that is the case we could all be midnight children, given the drama at Stormont last night. A friend texted that I look nothing like that Salman Rushdie.

Also, Peter Robinson had quite a good joke about Northern Ireland entering the negotiating team who should be favourites to take a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. But as he noticed, they would have to agree which flag should fly and which national anthem should be played at the medals ceremony.

Many moons ago when I started this game I vowed not to blog out of office hours, but here I am at 11.30 pm tapping away at my keyboard. My excuse? I am in my office in the Stormont basement and upstairs in Room 315 the DUP assembly team is meeting. They started arriving around 10 pm tonight for what it's fair to assume is an extraordinary late night meeting to consider the deal. Hard to imagine they will simply repeat the exercise they went through last Monday.

During the day we were getting increasing signals that Peter Robinson had had success......

and that's where I had to break this blog off because at that moment I got a shout that the meeting was over - we rushed out into the hall to see ian Paisleys Snr and Jnr disappearing down a corridor. A quick sprint took us to the car park, where we intercepted some politicians driving away without making any comment - all that is apart from Willie McCrea who told em through his car window that "there'll always be an Ulster".

Then back inside for a midnight news conference with Peter Robinson who told us that all 35 MLAs (Willie Hay doesn't attend these meetings) had backed the deal. I'd like to give you more details but I have to go now because Parliament Buildings is about to be locked up and I can't afford to miss a Joint Prime Ministerial News Conference which it's now expected will be called for Hillsborough in the morning.

So much going on that it's inevitable some things will slip under the radar. Whilst we were charging around last night reporting on Peter Robinson's return as First Minister, the Press Association reported from the House of Lords that the government had accepted a Conservative amendment banning politicians who are both MPs and MLAs from earning two salaries. So whilst double jobbing isn't yet illegal doubling your money soon could be (in fact politicians only get a reduced proportion of their second salaries).

I haven't yet written about the UUP executive's decision to turn its back on the DUP's advances and run back to its Conservative partner. Either way Sir Reg has headaches, as he now has to deal with the Lady Sylvia problem he has been putting off for so long. The "bogus" unionist unity push (as the UUP called it) may now be on hold but I stand by my previous assessment that it was an impressive tactic by Peter Robinson as it has diminished UCUNF's ability to present itself as an entirely different alternative at the Westminster election.

One aspect of the UUP Executive meeting which hasn't garnered so much publicity is that they reaffirmed the party's opposition to devolving justice at this stage to what they regard as a dysfunctional Stormont. So much for all the recent prime ministerial pressure - it looks like there will be no cloud cover for the DUP there. Of course the government officials who are tut tutting about this did not experience the Fuss at the Bus, the mobbing of the Trimble's at Upper Bann election counts or any of the other rough handling that used to go on between the DUP and the UUP.

Finally Peter Robinson's return to Stormont Castle has been greeted by calls for the publication of his legal advice. The DUP has just said Mr Robinson is "very keen that the advice can be released in as transparent and complete a form as possible and is asking the Minister of Finance who commissioned the advice to examine how this may be done." So watch this space.

Oh and "Disgusted in Derry" - "Made In Ulster" was a quote from Sammy Wilson so maybe you should take your 66% point up with him.

Just when I thought this was going to be the one relatively quiet day in the recent saga, the news broke during Evening Extra that Peter is back as First Minister. Although the police and Assembly Standards Committee inquiries have yet to run their course, he is basing his return on the advice from my former five a side playing barrister Paul Maguire. The full legal advice has not been published but the DUP statement makes it clear it was given "on the material provided", which I take to mean that he hasn't been out re-interviewing the witnesses or the programme makers but has perused whatever was put before him.

As the Spotlight programme based its assertion on a legal opinion regarding the in particular the principle of selflessness, this could end up in a fairly philosophical argument between lawyers.

I'm uncertain what impact the move will have, if any, on Mr Robinson's ability to swing his assembly party behind any deal. But if he does reach an agreement at the end of this week it could, for example, enable him and Martin McGuinness to welcome the two prime ministers to Northern Ireland as First and Deputy First Ministers, thus symbolically endorsing a "Made In Ulster" deal.

Well what to say about that DUP meeting. It was pretty clear when I posted my entry last night in the immediate wake of the DUP news conference that the "no running commentary" line would not hold for long. Since then we have had claims of resignation threats, substantiation of the internal DUP vote and DUP denials that Peter Robinson made any "back me or sack me" ultimatum.

For the best account of what did or did not happen yesterday I commend you to my colleague

Whether you think Peter Robinson is the new David Trimble or not, it's clear that he is having real problems convincing his party to sign on the dotted line. Mr Robinson was at Hillsborough Castle continuing the negotiations tonight. Senior DUP sources say he will go back to his Assembly group either tomorrow or Thursday.

Whilst understandably the internal machinations of the DUP took centre stage today, the Ulster Unionists also came in for a bit of attention. Whilst some assumed when Mr Robinson travelled back at one point from Hillsborough to Stormont that he was breifing his own team I am told he was in fact holding a planned meeting with Sir Reg Empey (no need for an English country house this time) to brief the Ulster Unionist leader on the deal.

Sir Reg also took a call this morning from Gordon Brown who tried to convince him to get off the fence and back the deal. The prime minister's carrot, it's understood, was an assurance that any package will deal with Ulster Unionist concerns about the inefficient operation of the Stormont Executive. Mr Brown's stick came in the form of a warning that if the deal fails and the Assembly collapses then there will be no suspension but a snap election. The government must calculate that this will send the shivers up the UUP timbers, although I'm not sure they have any more to fear from the prospect than the DUP.

Tomorrow we can predict with a degree of certainty there will be an interruption to the process. That's because Shaun Woodward and many local MPs will be in Westminster for which includes a question from Eddie McGrady on the state of the Hillsborough talks.

It's understood that Micheal Martin also has an important engagement in London on Thursday, related to the Irish diaspora, which he is intending to keep.

No sooner had the news of Alex Kane's resignation as the UUP Director of Communications leaked out earlier today than some people were plotting to step into his shoes. The UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy is filling the role on a temporary basis, but a colleague found a letter abandoned in the Stormont canteen from a Belfast PR man advising the Ulster Unionists that he "would be available immediately on a freelance and flexible basis".

The PR man continued "As you are aware, I was previously a member of the UUP, where I often argued the merits of the Conservative Party. I am now a member of the Conservative Party where I often find myself arguing the merits of the Ulster Unionist Party. I remain supportive of both parties, whether separately or in co-operation".

So perfectly placed then. Unless, of course, the UUP pursues the offer of an electoral pact from the DUP which Alex Kane lambasted in his

I am now off from Stormont back to Hillsborough for our late TV news. Tomorrow looks like it will involve yet more talks , and as a number of people have pointed out to me February 2nd really is

So the DUP meeting finished a bit quicker than we had thought. When they came down the Stormont stairs they expressed their unanimity - they were as one in being encouraged by the Hillsborough negotiations, and as one in having some teensy weensy problems with it.

So there's obviously no truth to some nasty rumours being spread by TUV and UUP sources that a secret ballot had been taken within the Assembly group and only a narrow majority voted in favour. DUP sources were asked about this in the Great Hall but refused to give a "running commentary".

My bit part in the Ulster Amateur Actors' Production of "Waiting For Godot" continues.The governments were so convinced that they would be heading here that Brian Cowen cancelled a planned trip to Spain, whilst David Miliband told MPs that Gordon Brown was on his way to Belfast. Later, somewhat flummoxed, the Foreign Secretary apologised "Although I had been reliably informed that the Prime Minister was on his way to Belfast, it now transpires that he is not on his to way to Belfast because the situation in the... for various reasons which I won't go into actually. But I apologise for having got that wrong earlier on."

Good to know it is not just hacks who are all over the place. The DUP Assembly team is still meeting. They began their discussions at 11 a.m. Ulster Unionist sources claim Gerry Adams' comments on "Good Morning Ulster" about a "staging post" had spooked the DUP. Jim Allister put out a statement claiming this remark should "alert every unionist to what isafoot". But DUP sources dismissed these claims as nonsense and Sinn Fein say they have taken no complaint from the DUP on this score.

The DUP meeting is thought likely to last for at least a couple of hours more. One source described it as "fruitful" but wouldn't being drawn on why it was taking so long.

Eamonn Mallie has caught me out - pointing out that on Good Morning Ulster this morning, I said that some officials believed the Ulster Unionists were turning a blind ear to the Hillsborough negotiations.

In my defence, one, my radio technology had just blown up on me just before and two, I have passed form having once told ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Four listeners that the government was bringing the mountain to the fusilier, as opposed to Mohammed.

Currently, I am looking at the gates of Hillsborough Castle, where not a great deal is happening whilst Martina Purdy is keeping an eye on the internal DUP and Sinn Fein gatherings at Stormont.

More straws in the wind that preparations are being made for an announcement this afternoon include the Taoiseach's decision to postpone a planned trip to Spain and the news that Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness have written to Willie Hay asking him to postpone the scheduled First Minister's Questions, which should have happened at 1430 this afternoon, by a week.