Just when you think Stormont cannot get any worse, it generally does.

You might believe that our political masters could sink no further than governing for six months without a budget.

You might even think they had reached rock bottom by spending their time shouting personal and political insults at each other across the floor.

However, on Tuesday the Assembly went beyond farce when a government party called for the resignation of a government minister.

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It was a process which only an Irish assembly could deliver, because it effectively meant that a government was expressing no confidence in itself.

Other states have governments, but we are ruled by a collection of individuals who are united by a mutual dislike of each other – although their high salaries, generous expenses and subsidised meals also help to keep them together.

The minister in question was Alliance agriculture minister Andrew Muir, and those expressing no confidence in him were his coalition partners, the DUP - with support from the UUP and the TUV.

In fairness, the DUP has a point in suggesting that Mr Muir is different from........

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