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Mutual Backscratching 2

• Mark Devenport
• 15 May 07, 04:57 PM

Blogging today from Westminster where I spent the day watching Bertie Ahern address both Houses of Parliament in the splendid gilt edged surroundings of the Royal Gallery, a chamber which sits between the Commons and the Lords. The Taoiseach took his place in a line of about 30 dignitaries honoured in this way before. They include Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev and General De Gaulle. As noted here previously, Ruairi Quinn and Pat Rabbitte both objected to the timing of this invitation in the midst of the Irish General Election campaign. But Fine Gael's Enda Kenny took a different tack, accepting his invitation as a recognition of his party's contribution to the peace process. Certainly the bi-partisan turnout so far as Westminsterwas concerned (both John Major and Gordon Brown were in the audience) shows the British establishment believes May 8th is something worth marking.