Since its foundation in 1990 the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body has attempted, with varying degrees of effort, to include unionists among its number. Last week, however, its chances of success took a distinct turn for the worse with, as Quidnunc reported, the selection of Sinn Fein TD Caoimhghin O Caolain as an Independent representative from the Dail.
The body is composed of 25 back-benchers from the Dail and Seanad and 25 from the Commons and Lords. It will meet in London on Monday and Tuesday for the first time since the spring elections in both jurisdictions caused such big changes. Two seats will, as usual, be kept for the unionists in the hope they may turn up. They won't. They won't be turning up on Friday in Dublin either when the new Forum for Peace and Reconciliation gets under way: the Northern Ireland Forum also meets on a Friday, but since the SDLP doesn't attend its representatives are expected in Dublin.
The opening address in London on Monday will be given by the Northern Secretary, Mo Mowlam. Debates will cover Sellafield, the environment, BSE, tourism and the North.
The first item is the election of the co-chairmen, FF's Michael O'Kennedy and British Labour's David Winnick, and four vice-chairmen, Charlie Flanagan and Rory O'Hanlon from Dublin and Kevin McNamara and Peter Temple-Morris from Westminster. All eyes will be on the affable Temple-Morris, a well-known friend of Ireland and former co-chair, who left the Tories last week over their policy on Europe and whose future is now unclear. Will he or won't he join Labour, on whose benches he now sits as an Independent One Nation Tory?