Tanks on Lawn?
I'm not entirely convinced I buy the Belfast Telegraph take on the Conservatives' announcement of a new Bangor headquarters. The City Edition suggests that the Tories are parking their tanks on Tom Elliott's lawn, and will be contesting all elections in the future in competition with the UUP.
However a senior Conservative source insists the announcement complies with the deal struck in December which saw the Tories agreeing not to contest this May's Assembly election and the UUP agreeing to take the Conservative whip should they ever get an MP elected again.
Indeed Alex Huston, a young local Tory who joined me as a guest on a recent Inside Politics, takes a contrasting view. "The Conservative Party are attempting to placate Northern Irish members with a full-time office" he told me. "The local party don't need or want an office, they want Assembly seats! It is counter-intuitive to have a full time office when we have only one councillor and when all future councillors must cooperate with the Ulster Unionists".
On the related matter of Tom Elliott's appeal for a change to the law on how the First Minister is chosen, this has seemed increasingly unlikely since November. That's when Owen Paterson made a speech in London about his plans for a "normalisation bill". He talked about political donations and double jobbing, but there was no reference to altering Section 16C of the Northern Ireland Act (which permits Sinn Fein to take the post if they are the biggest party).
Indeed in an interview to be shown on tonight's Hearts and Minds the Secretary of State is asked about the prospect of Martin McGuinness getting the top job. Mr Paterson replies "I think it would be an extraordinary endorsement of the progress that has been made here . and I think we should celebrate that fact that everyone wants to vote...but how that election turns out , as Secretary of State, is not for me to comment on. It's down to local people to go to the polling booths and vote."
To see that interview in full (and an encounter between Noel and Martin McGuinness) watch Hearts and Minds tonight.
I'm 
Comments