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I am tempted to say that our 108 MLAs have been evacuated to make way for today's World Rally Championships. But I can remember being reminded as a trainee journalist that unless you want to get very anatomical, buildings, not people, are evacuated.

So let's just say that the Stormont Hotel is heaving with a mixture of politicians and petrol heads. As the Public Accounts Committee considers the government's use of outside consultants, the rally staff in the Stormont estate across the road are putting the finishing touches to an enormous grandstand, a special bridge, and the pit stops sited in the Assembly car parks.

The rally organisers say the event will showcase Stormont in more than 50 countries across the world.

Princess Anne is in attendance. Earlier this week the Deputy First Minister denied he was "snubbing" her, as reported in the Sunday Times, but added that he had never had any engagement in his diary to meet a member of the Royal family.

Ian Paisley will be there, but he may be looking to make an early exit as the DUP is holding its annual dinner at a Belfast hotel tonight. So if several DUP MLAs slide out of the Stormont side entrance it's not a walk out.

Meanwhile party sources insist that holding the dinner on November 15th does not mean they are celebrating the 22nd anniversary of the Anglo Irish agreement. They haven't gone that far yet...

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