Mergers and Acquisitions
I have been expressly forbidden from using the word "merger" about the UUP-Conservative love in (by the UUP that is). But in these days of rather bigger mergers and acquisitions it's hard to get too worked up about this potential new political "force".
In truth the entire Conservative conference became a side show after the US House of Representatives voted down President Bush's bank bail out. In a hastily prepared speech, David Cameron did a good job of sounding like a statesman, but it's now up to the banks, traders and governments to make the real running.
For those still interested, at around 9.45 this morning Sir Reg and his band headed up to the Cameroonian suite, got a brief word with the man, then emerged to tell us that consultation would continue, the DUP should stop being rude to its hosts and Jeffrey was in no position to talk to anyone about splitting unionism.
Sir Reg made a point of saying that he didn't believe Prime Ministers should be neutral on the union. (That might be a reference to the view of some in the UUP that the Conservatives should take Peter Brooke's statement that Britain has "no selfish strategic or economic interest in NI" off the table).
Otherwise the story hasn't moved on and, although the Tory leader will give it a mention in his main speech tomorrow, the focus will now turn to the UUP Conference at the end of the month for any further developments.
It's a shame this wasn't the venue for an announcement of a new "Conservative and Unionist" force because it would have had a nice sense of historical symmetry.
The "Conservative and Unionist" tag has its origins in the merger of the Conservatives and the Liberal Unionists of Joseph Chamberlain. Birmingham's most famous Mayor, Joseph Chamberlain split with Gladstone over opposition to Home Rule.
Last week I wrote that Manchester was so sunny the city fathers should have imported a few tons of sand to create an urban beach. Well on your way into this conference you do pass just such a beach. However now the weather has turned wet and chilly I don't see any Brummies braving the deck chairs, especially not at 6.30 in the morning when I make my way in for the early turn on "Good Morning Ulster".
P.S. Rumour has it that Lord Trimble travelled here by barge and took three days enroute.
P.P.S. A DUP press release issued in the name of Robin Newton attacking the UUP for hooking up with the "Armani suited hierarchy" of the Tories raised some eyebrows with Conservative MPs who had it in their hands as Jeffrey Donaldson opened the party's fringe meeting yesterday. Some didn't like the emphasis on the association between the Conservatives and "reckless city types". But the more classically educated took offence at the spelling of the sentence telling Sir Reg Empey that he could not wash his hands "Pontius Pilot like" of his guilt by association.
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