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Delivery, delivery, delivery

• Mark Devenport
• 21 Feb 07, 02:40 PM

Nigel Dodds summed it up - the word "delivery" features strongly in the DUP manifesto. They gathered at the Innovation Centre at the Belfast Science Park this morning for the event. Ian Paisley deflected all questions about whether March 26th is attainable by telling us to go and ask Sinn Fein. Would he serve as a Deputy First Minister to Martin McGuinness is Sinn Fein were the biggest party? No, he replied, the only deputy's badge he wanted was one with a star so he could lock the Mid Ulster MP up in the county gaol. Talk of ultimatums from Peter Hain prompted guffaws.

So we are still in a state of ambiguity. But there was enough talk about the balance of power on a future executive and the DUP not being to blame for any delay that the drift of policy seems clear enough. Certainly the government appears happy with the DUP manifesto - from their point of view what is not there is as significant as what is. In contrast to the 2005 manifesto, power sharing with Sinn Fein is not ruled out of the question. So government sources aren't talking any longer about pulling the plug - this election is going ahead.

Incidentally some people may doubt that Ian Paisley still has any fire in his belly, but I can confirm that it is full of copious quantities of porridge. At a breakfast briefing some days ago, he confided to me his preference for porridge over an Ulster Fry. In recent days, quite unprompted, I have often heard him extolling the virtues of porridge to all and sundry. Whatever else might be said about the DUP leader, he is definitely getting his oats.

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