George - our flexible friend
They might have been at loggerheads about how to deal with the cuts in the run up to today's meeting, but as they arrived at the Treasury the First and Deputy First looked like a team, striding in purposefully together rather than travelling seperately.
After about three quarters of an hour inside George Osborne's HQ, Messrs Robinson and McGuinness emerged claiming they'd outlined Northern Ireland's "special case". This revolved around the government needing to stand by committments made at St. Andrews, especially regarding capital spending. Mr Robinson also reiterated the need for Stormont to be able to dip into the Treasury reserve should policing and justice require (code for dealing with any upsurge in violence).
Martin McGuinness said the Chancellor had used the word "flexibility" and the First and Deputy First now hope he would prove flexible. Suggestions include phasing the projected half a billion pound cut to the local capital budget so as to soften the blow to the construction industry.
Owen Paterson attended the meeting. On his way out I asked how much bargaining room the Treasury had over the projected £2 billion cut to the Stormont budget over the next four years. At first Mr Paterson responded that he didn't know where the figure was coming from. When I pointed out that the Stormont Finance Department has gone public with the estimate, the Secretary of State argued that until the allocations for Whitehall departments like Health and Education have been agreed it remains impossible to do the maths, so all the Stormont estimates remain so much guesswork.
Mr Paterson is now heading to the USA for a preparatory visit ahead of Hillary Clinton's October 19th Investment conference. Before he got in his car to the airport he confirmed his plans to press ahead immediately with the re-appointment of the Parades Commission.
London was overcast, but still looked imposing. During the Second World War, Churchill's Cabinet operated out of the reinforced basement in order to withstand bombing raids. After October 20th, will Chancellor Osborne have to take up residence in the bunker as protection from the wrath of the public?
P.S. When I wrote that headline I couldn't remember where the phrase about "your flexible friend" came from. Then my cameraman reminded me it was an advert for the now defunct Access credit card. The "flexible friend" was taken over by Mastercard in the 1990s.
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