Trimble under the spotlight

David Trimble is to be the subject of yet another biography

David Trimble is to be the subject of yet another biography. Last month, the Observer's man in Ireland, Henry McDonald, published the first - warmly reviewed in these pages by the Taoiseach's adviser, Martin Mansergh. The second has been written by Dean Godson, chief leader writer of the Daily Telegraph. Godson ran - unsuccessfully - for the Tories in Howe East in the last general election so we may assume his politics are True Blue and his book unlikely to be hostile to the UUP leader.

RTE says Trimble's appearance on the Late Late Show last week was warmly received by both the studio audience and telephone callers - with only one unfriendly mention of his previous association with Vanguard. The Late Late's series producer Colm O'Callaghan told Quidnunc the only reason Trimble did not take questions from the audience was that they ran out of time. There was no advance deal that he would not take questions as a condition of appearing.