Goodbye Subsidised Lasagne
My compliments to the chef who prepared my seafood lasagne for lunch in the Stormont basement canteen. It tasted lovely, but could it be my last? Well not necessarily, but it might cost me more than the £3.01 I paid today, if Peter Robinson has anything to do with it.
The DUP leader called for an end to subsidised food at Stormont during a debate on Assembly running costs this afternoon. MLAs backed Mr Robinson's motion, calling on the Assembly to reduce its spending in line with the cuts facing the Executive departments as part and parcel of the Treasury's comprehensive review.
The SDLP's Alban Maginness did his best to give the First Minister indigestion, claiming it was "a bit rich" for Mr Robinson to object to subsidised food given his track record of claiming the £400 monthly Westminster food allowance. Mr Maginness refused to take an intervention from the East Belfast MLA, who presumably wanted to point out that other parties' MPs took that allowance, which has since been changed in line with the overhaul on Westminster expenses.
The SDLP's Mark Durkan sounded as if he was continuing the food and beverage theme when he labelled the debate the DUP's "Tea Party moment". But of course as a former intern for Ted Kennedy, Mr Durkan had the recent US elections in mind accusing the DUP of cheap populism.
Some MPs thought the debate set a dangerous constitutional precedent of the Executive pressurising the Assembly. Mr Robinson retorted that he was speaking in an individual capacity, not as First Minister, but his critics didn't accept this differentiation.
Sammy Wilson hit back by accusing these sceptics of dancing on the head of a constitutional pin. It was a Stormont version of "Strictly Come Dancing", he quipped, but most of the speakers had not even provided as elegant a performance as Ann Widdecombe.
P.S. I have asked the Assembly if there is any estimate of the cost of subsidising the food. I am still waiting for an answer, but I shall keep you posted.
P.P.S. Last time I saw a Lakeland Tours bus it had dropped off Tom Elliott supporters for the UUP leadership election at the Waterfront. A few moments ago I spotted one, apparently broken down at the mini roundabout at Carson's statue on the Stormont estate. The bus had blocked the roundabout requiring Stormont staff to redirect cars around the obstacle. So another Stormont log jam...
I'm 
Comments