But Swanny’s prompt action is a bit of a headache for some of his Ministerial colleagues, Naomi Long in particular. The Shinners were quick to announce that none of their Ministers would be standing for Westminster seats (not that they ever actually take them) and it’s unlikely that any of the DUP Ministers will be contesting Westminster seats.
Naomi Long, though, despite all the fannying about, will almost certainly stand in East Belfast against Gavin Robinson. She’s won it before, and she can win it again. But, now that Robin has set a precedent, she’s got a tough choice to make.
And it is a tough one, for both herself and Swanny. Imagine the disappointment, not to mention embarrassment, if you give up your Ministerial role and all that it entails, go off and fight a by-election and then lose. It’s a bit hard to come scurrying back up to Stormont to ask for your old job back, and for your replacement to put their tracksuit back on and go back to the substitutes’ bench.
Meanwhile, what started as a good end of week for Doug Beattie’s Ulster Unionists took a bit of turn for the worse with a fairly disastrous interview by its North Down candidate, Colonel Tim Collins. Speaking from his elegant front room in deepest Kent, Tim was a bit on the condenscending side in an interview that few people would normally have seen….as it was on the News Letter site. But such was its cock-up nature that a lot more subsequently tuned in.
Still, we wish Tim Collins well. Back in the dim and distant past, we grew up together in the mean streets of East Belfast. Or, at least, the slightly less mean avenues and crescents of part of East Belfast. That was before we went our separate ways – Tim to military life, uniforms, a famous speech and celebrity status and ourselves to the humble life of a journalist.
Maybe we’ll catch up in the future. If he wins, Tim has said that he’ll buy a house here in North Down. There are a few nice ones close to us, mate. And we know a few decent pubs.
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