Don't Cross Morrow
If you have to annoy an MLA, think long and hard before choosing the Chair of the Justice Committee, Lord Morrow. He's not the sort of person who suffers fools and knaves, or indeed anyone else who provokes his ire. Today he's hinted that David Ford should consider his position over the "Jailgate" saga of missing prisoners (though maybe "gate" is not the appropriate term here for a situation in which gates appear to be either conspicuous by their absence or left swinging open on their hinges).
Yesterday he was dealing with a rather less serious matter, but again wasn't in a mood to be forgiving. Sinn Fein's Willie Clarke stood up at the end of question time to give an explanation to the Speaker as to why he had been absent from the chamber on Monday (Willie Hay had lacerated Mr Clarke for not being present to ask a question).
Mr Clarke explained that he had not been in attendance "because of extreme weather conditions in South Down. Indeed, members of your own staff could not make it in to work from Newcastle. I think that it is unfair to be lambasted for something beyond my control. I recognise that I should have withdrawn the question, and I apologise for that."
The Speaker accepted the apology, murmuring that all he had ever wanted was to be kept informed. Lord Morrow then got to his feet to wonder aloud, "Has the Member who was stranded yesterday ever heard of the e-mail or telephone system?"
A fair point, as the Speaker added. But the message to Messrs Ford and Clarke is, if you are looking for speedy forgiveness, look elsewhere.
I'm 
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