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So who benefits most from the announcement of a working group to establish closer links between the Tories and the Ulster Unionists? David Cameron is selling the move as a way to extend his influence to every corner of the UK, but the UUP isn't the party it once was. A joint candidacy involving Jim Nicholson in next year's European elections seems on the cards - he is after all already part of the Conservative group in the European parliament.

This morning's Daily Telegraph proclaims with certainty that the UUP's sole MP Lady Sylvia Hermon will take the Tory whip. That may be jumping the gun, as she has always appeared closer to New Labour than the Conservatives. Some UUP sources tell me Lady Sylvia has been briefed and is persuadable, but she herself is on leave after her father's death and says only that she will watch developments with interest.

The move could be interpeted as payback for the DUP after it propped up Gordon Brown over 42 days and this morning's Irish Times also links it with Iris Robinson's recent controversial remarks.

How much the Conservative brand will help the UUP is a moot point. After all the Tory outings in elections here since 1990 have been, to a large extent, a failed experiment. But whatever else it achieves the move at least means the UUP has beaten the SDLP to the punch when it comes to "realignment".

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