Monday, March 26, 2007

Dr No says yes?

I was going to write this one up before I went to bed, but alas power cuts intervened. In short it looks like Dr Ian Paisley is set to accept power sharing with Sinn Fein which may well have looked like being on the card for a while, but is still stunning news.

It appears that they have already met this morning and are going to release a joint press statement soon.

The Guardian trailed the meeting here, on its front page (The only paper to do so, which is surprising as it is such big news) whilst the BBC has this here.

I don't know what shocks me most. Dr No saying yes, or the face to face meeting. Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams have been the big political figures in Northern Ireland for a generation yet have never before met.

Power sharing is set to resume on the 8th of May after a bit of DUP brinkmanship that saw Peter Hain's last never to be shifted deadline of today shifted.

I just hope it all works out in Northern Ireland.

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