“This is not worth the paper it’s written on..”

The BBC’s Mark Devenport had suggested the IMC could play a part of the “serious consequences” predicted by Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, if the Executive continued to fail to meet. Whether today’s reported meeting between the DUP and the IMC is more than a sounding of next week’s IMC report isn’t yet clear. But it comes at a time when the NI First Minster has accused the Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, of breaching the ministerial code. Adds Mark Devenport has some more details

“I don’t think it’s involves any deep-seated policy differences,” said BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport. “I’m told, of around 150 changes, many involve references to Northern Ireland being changed to the north.”

Mark Devenport said Peter Robinson’s perspective is “basically once a document is passed by the executive then that’s it, it should be put out in that form. “Ultimately, it could go to the courts, but I think it’s more a case of symbolising the bad relations there are at the moment.”

Pete Baker