91Èȱ¬

This blog has previously discussed the correct geographical description for these islands we live in. I got myself in hot water even before I had my first bowl of Mancunian cornflakes when I mentioned on Good Morning Ulster that the session of the Conservative conference which Sir Reg Empey is addressing today was headed "Great Britain". I'd taken that from the agenda linked to this However it's been pointed out to me that in official handbook the session is entitled "the Union".

Having been pulled up by Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff for apparently saying, when in New York, that Gordon Brown, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness would have another meeting when they got "back home to England", I'm not going to get too pedantic about geography (the statement turned out to be wrong in more ways than I imagined).

Anyway whatever the session was called it was marked by Owen Paterson re-emphasising the Conservative pledge to end dual madates and to fight all 18 seats (tell that to the Ulster Unionists in South Belfast).

Ian Parsley was welcomed on board as a featured questioner from the floor. Then Sir Reg took to the platform at his allotted time of 10.53 am precisely. He didn't touch on the nitty gritty of devolving justice or executive deadlock - instead he stuck to the broad message of the two parties building a new inclusive, pluralist politics.

He ended by paraphrasing Casablanca - "David, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship", and then (two minutes early) the first speech by a UUP leader in a decade and the first of a leader of a conjoined party since Brian Faulkner was over and done with.

The conference organisers switched to a tape of Muses's Starlight. "Our hopes and expectations, Black holes and revelations". No doubt the UCUNF Westminster candidates will hope the first line of the chorus turns out to be more apt than the second one.

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