Amused by this BBC story, I had a look at the Ulster Unionists’ blog of the talks. I must say it reminds me very much of the extraordinary combination of tedium and tension that was my experience of the Stormont talks chaired by George Mitchell ten years ago. The latest entry is a true compilation of cliches trying to make it look as if the delegates are doing something:

We have been here for a couple of hours now and meetings between parties and government are fairly frenetic at this stage. We have also had an internal discussion about the possible outcomes. The pressure cooker seems to be on and is ratcheting up. It remains to be seen however whether government will throw down the gauntlet. Many are walking about the hotel with long faces. We appear to be moving towards a conclusion to these talks one way or another and as i write the media are arriving for a government briefing…

I’m sure everyone is doing their best, but I think it would have been better to let the public continue under the illusion that the political process contains some elements of excitement!