McGimpsey predicts autumn deal…

MICHAEL McGimpsey is predicting that the DUP will make a deal with Sinn Fein come the autumn. While he thinks the DUP prefer to hang until after the 2005 Westminster election, he thinks the Government will apply pressure to have at least an interim arrangement (such as a version of the DUP’s ‘corporate governance’ model) before the end of this year by leaning on the DUP and “rehabilitating” Sinn Fein.

On the other hand, for a party not participating in the Review, the UUP seems to spend an awful lot of time meeting with the Secretary of State during the time he’s in Stormont for Review bilaterals… Sounds about as solid a boycott as the SDLP’s “refusal” to meet Minister John Spellar.

Meanwhile, today’s Review meetings (one for the optics, methinks) are probably the last negotiations until the autumn.


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