But it would take very advanced wheeler-dealing skills to make concessions to Sinn Fein which didn't alienate the DUP and maybe other Ulster parties....back in 1979, one reason for the fall of Jim Callaghan's minority Labour government was that concessions to the Ulster Unionists had alienated the SDLP's Gerry Fitt, who had been a natural Labour supporter.

BBC: Numbers game

Passionate Unionists in both the Tory and Labour parties are lining up a series of amendments designed to limit Alex Salmond's freedom of movement.

BBC: Scottish independence: Does it take two to separate?

His scheduled encounters with senior figures from the Ulster Unionists, the Social Democratic and Labour Party and Sinn Fein have been described as "private courtesy meetings".

BBC: Mandela urges NI peace