Registering Their Interests
The new Westminster Register of Interests has been pored over . Locally the Robinsons have registered their two sons, daughter and daughter in law as employees. Ian Paisley hasn't declared Ian Paisley Jr., although he is still on the Westminster researcher's register. (Questioned by my Westminster colleague Lisa Costello, Ian Junior wouldn't confirm or deny whether he is still employed as his father's researcher, saying only that it was something his father would have to clarify).
Family matters to one side there is an interesting discrepancy between what our MPs feel they ought to register. The Foyle MP Mark Durkan registers his Chairmanship of the Stormont Enterprise Committee, which should earn him a payment of just over £11,000. However Ian Paisley Senior and Martin McGuinness don't put down the fact that they are First and Deputy First Ministers (earning salaries of more than £71,000) and Peter Robinson, Michelle Gildernew, Conor Murphy, Jeffrey Donaldson, and Nigel Dodds also don't note their ministerial duties. The eagle eyed commenter Noel Adams pointed this out to me.
On tomorrow's Inside Politics the SDLP leader urges his fellow MPs to amend their details. He also talks about the Ashdown review on parading, the government's plans to detain terror suspects for 42 days, the Embryology Bill and the prospects for a joint Fianna Fail SDLP candidacy in next summer's European elections. That's all on Inside Politics at a quarter to one on Saturday afternoon on ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Ulster.
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