Question time or no question time?

The shallowness of the DUP – SF coalition was laid bare today by an excellent report on the Politics Show by Kevin Sharkey. His piece highlighted the bizarre nature of the First and Deputy First Minister’s desire to move their question time to once a month (which means each of them will will only be required to turn up every two months) and even then allow their junior ministers to deputise for them.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond summed it up when he told the BBC that turning up at the Scottish Assembly once a week to account for his actions, like they do in London, Cardiff and Dublin, was the bare minimum his fellow MSPs and the people could expect from him as First Minister.

Rumour has it the First Minister enjoyed an extended Christmas break in the Florida sun this year. He seems in no rush to return to the job he is being paid to do. The several thousand workers laid off this week in Northern Ireland will not have such luxuries to look forward to.