In Two Places At Once
Highlighting the dangers of double jobbing, the TUV's Keith Harbinson settled upon Tuesday night's vote on the Bill of Rights as an example of unionism being let down by not being able to muster numbers at both Westminster and Stormont at the same time.
Mr Harbinson said unionism had been defeated because of the absence of the DUP MPs. Although his general point may be valid Tuesday's vote was in fact less of a "classic illustration" than he may believe.
That's because nationalists had brought a petition of concern on the Ulster Unionist motion, in order to ensure its criticism of the Bill of Rights would be blocked. But when a PUP amendment supportive of the Bill went through (because of the low unionist numbers) it then became the main motion under discussion.
In the first example I can remember of such a petition boomeranging on those who had brought it, the motion backing the Bill of Rights would have gone through with nationalist and Alliance support, but could not proceed because it required cross community backing. So the unionists, despite their depleted numbers, were able to use the Good Friday Agreement to block a motion supportive of the Bill of Rights.
So as the unionists lost the amendment by 39 votes to 46, but "won" the main motion by 39 votes to 45, on the grounds that the only unionist in favour of the Bill of Rights was Dawn Purvis.
Next Tuesday MLAs will again face a dillemma about being in two places at once. The Justice Bill, which provides for a future devolved department, is going through its consideration stage and a late night is predicted. However the Assembly is also organising one of its roadshows for the same evening, this time in South Antrim.
Last time late night voting coincided with a roadshow there were red faces for the Assembly secretariat when most MLAs failed to turn up at the event organised in East Belfast's Park Avenue hotel. To try to avoid a similar discourtesy to those voters interested enough to attend a roadshow, the Assembly is now investigating whether MLAs can agree a "pairing" arrangement, along the lines of similar deals at Westminster. This would enable a politician to attend the roadshow in the knowledge that their absence won't make a crucial difference to voting on the bill back in the Chamber.
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