Another twist in the shacking up of the UUP and PUP in Stormont has seen 25 year old Ulster Unionist party officer and Down councillor Peter Bowles is defecting to the Conservatives in protest over the party's new links to the UVF. As well as becoming the first Ulster Unionist to defect, he will also become the Conservatives' only current elected representative in Northern Irleand.

Interestingly Bowles has chosen a party that has traditionally struggled to attract votes in Northern Ireland over the 'easy option' of joining unionist rivals in the DUP. I for one hope it pays off.