Death by a thousand cuts
I take a couple of days off and look what happens. First an unexpected victory for the UUP at Dromore, thanks to an unexpected showing by the TUV. Then a DUP excursion to Lisbon, arranged some time in advance, for its MPs to mull over the future. Then another Ian Paisley Jr. story, this time about him and his father paying rent on his Ballymena office to a company whose director was his father in law. And finally the resignation of the Junior Minister, who still maintains he has done no wrong.
Last night I was in Dublin watching BBC Newsline get an Irish Film and Television Academy award for our May 8th Devolution day coverage. But all thought of taking it easy today went out the window when I got a phone call whilst on the Enterprise train informing me about the junior minister's planned move. Within an hour of arriving at Belfast Central Station I was sat in our Assembly studio having to hold forth on "Stormont Live".
The Causeway, Ballee, the St Andrews lobbying, the multiple jobs and now the constituency office have finally done for Jr. The question now is will his resignation buy his father more time as DUP leader and First Minister? Or, having tasted blood, will his critics inside and outside the party be emboldened in moving against his father?
Various names have been mentioned as candidates for Ian Jr.'s job. They include the North Down MLA Peter Weir and the Strangford MLA Simon Hamilton.
I'm 
