Regular blog reader Noel Adams pointed out to me some time ago that some of our councillors were being briefed about the likelihood of a rash of co-options, probably next year. With the local government elections delayed until 2011, when the new super councils are due to take over, veteran councillors and MLAs who also hold council seats may be encouraged to step down if they want to benefit from any severance package (estimated maximum value £20,000).
That being the case, it's thought legislation may be passed to allow for a rash of co-options, rather than by-elections. Currently councillors can be co-opted, but only if no other councillor objects. Otherwise a by-election has to be fought.
At a meeting of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee yesterday the SDLP's Alex Attwood asked for some legal advice on how a system of mandatory co-options would sit alongside European rights conventions on the need for free and fair elections.
It's still early days as no legislation to allow for co-option has yet been published. But given the result in Dromore, one can imagine that some parties would be keener than others on a series of by-elections.
The DUP's Jim Wells has obviously been staring at the Stormont building a lot recently. First he objects to the size of the flags Shrinking Flag. Now he is taking aim at the unloved security hut at the East entrance, wondering why it had not been designed to reflect the Greek classical architecture of Parliament Buildings.
The Assembly Commission emphasise that the hut is just a temporary structure, and should be replaced as part of the proposed new building which is expected to accomodate new committee rooms and a visitor centre.
I am working here on the presumption that all our legislators have ten digits. Last year they and the Assembly's other staff used around 180 copies of the Yellow Pages. But next year, in an effort to cut waste, the Assembly is planning to order no more than 40 copies. They are encouraging everyone to use the internet to search the directory on line instead. Thanks to Jim Wells and the Assembly Commission representative Bob Coulter for this nugget.
So as we approach the last leg of Ian Paisley's farewell tour, we have to prepare for a flying visit from another politician who will soon be on his way. George Bush is due at Stormont at the end of his European tour in June. Earlier today I was interviewing another US Visitor, the Nobel Peace Prize Winner Jody Williams who is in Ireland to support calls for a local Peace Minister and to attend a conference on cluster bombs in Dublin.
It was clear from the get go that Ms Williams isn't the President's biggest fan. She reckons the Iraq war was all about stealing oil and confessed to having some qualms about the notion of a US Peace Minister when she first heard about it, lest the President appoint Donald Rumsfeld to the job.
I reminded her that last time President Bush visited Hillsborough he had promised to devote just as much time to making peace in the Middle East as Tony Blair did to making peace in Northern Ireland. Had he kept to his pledge? "Not in my measure of how you do peace" Ms Williams replied, adding "but then I did get the Peace Prize and he didn't."
I'm 