Assembly "lapdogs"
It's okay to call a Stormont politician a "lapdog". That was the ruling from the Assembly Speaker Willie Hay today after a complaint from Sinn Fein's Raymond McCartney. Mr McCartney objected to the catcalls (or should that be dogcalls) aimed at his colleague Paul Butler when he rose to defend Caitriona Ruane's vision for education last week.
Today the Speaker asked MLAs to ensure their barks are no worse than their bites (well he didn't use that exact metaphor), but declined to rule that "lapdog" is unparliamentary per se.
I suppose it would be a different matter if an MLA picked on someone who is quite obviously a debating rottweiler (David Burnside for example) and called him a "lapdog". Then they would be misleading the doghouse.
I'm 
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There are a few dog collars in the assembly serving God and Mammon. Gideon's lap dogs (soldiers) Judges 7 were chosen to do battle for Israel because they did not fall on their knees therefore delaying readiness. However, I think the article really means those who have lost their bark in favour of the opulance of a modern kennel. The studded collar is a mark of rank and ownership more than a description of ferocity. No kennel no bone to chew on.