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Inside the Stormont Dining Room

• Mark Devenport
• 26 Mar 07, 05:57 PM

It sounds as if the tone of the conversation at the DUP Sinn Fein meeting was fairly mature. The DUP leader apparently repeated his phrase that this was "a work in, not a love in". But he also stressed that working class Protestants and working class Catholics share similar problems and both parties share a common interest in tackling those problems.

It's believed there was also a common recognition that the new relationship between the DUP and Sinn Fein may face challenges and that the now established lines of communication must be kept open in order to head off any difficulties.

The run up to the meeting sounds as interesting as the actual encounter. When the DUP told Tony Blair about the need for a delay on Friday the PM had to break off the meeting to be informed about the Iranian capture of British sailors. He also talked to President Bush. On Sunday, as previously noted, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness held proximity talks. They dealt with the date for devolution (Sinn Fein was keen on May 1st), the text of the leaders' statements and the visuals.

At one o'clock this morning officials were working away inside the Stormont Members Dining Room, dragging tables around until they settled on the diamond formation captured on camera.

Now it's down to the preparatory work. Our ministers in waiting may wish to acquaint themselves with their future departments. If so, with the exception of Peter Robinson who knows he is taking Finance, they will have to come to another informal understanding between themselves before formally running the D'Hondt system of appointments on May 8th.