Blair a witness to 'day of history'

Mr Blair sat in the VIP section of the public gallery flanked by Northern Secretary Peter Hain and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

The Prime Minister leaned forward, hands clasped together as DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness sealed their extraordinary power-sharing pact in public with fewer than two dozen words each.

“I affirm the terms of the pledge of office as set out in Section 4 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998,” said Mr Paisley.

A few seconds later Mr McGuinness repeated the simple affirmation.

However, the pedestrian phrases meant Mr Paisley now promised to promote the interests of the whole of the community of the North and Mr McGuinness was committed to upholding the rule of law and supporting the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Above them in other public galleries sat other faces from the past, including former SDLP leader John Hume who listened intently to proceedings.

Veteran US Senator Edward Kennedy was there too reflecting on the long legacy of cross fertilisation between American and Irish politics.

Former Northern Ireland secretary John Reid sat next to white-haired Peggy McGuinness, who now found herself the mother of Northern Ireland’s new Deputy First Minister with Mr Paisley his boss as First Minister.

On the sidelines of Mr Blair’s party sat his chief of staff Jonathan Powell, often used as a go-between in the tortuous peace process when the going got particularly tough.

As Mr Blair, who will begin his departure from No 10 later this week with a statement announcing he is stepping down as Labour leader, looked on – sometimes smiling, sometimes tilting his head to one side to listen more intently – the MLAs even joked about their past troubles.

New Speaker William Hay was described – in reference to his bulk – as a stout defender of Londonderry, with the added comment that he should not feel himself under siege in his new role.

This day was always marked down as the start of what Mr Blair hopes will be one of his enduring legacies. Beside him sat one of the hopefuls to be deputy leader of Labour under Gordon Brown – Mr Hain – and behind him Mr Reid, whose announcement that he is to leave the Cabinet helped smooth the way for the Chancellor.

Earlier Mr McGuiness said today people would witness not hype but history. The people of Northern Ireland watching on TV would surely have been wishing for neither hype nor perhaps even history but hope for the future.

For Mr Blair the next few days will see him looking forward to whatever his future will bring after he finally hands over the keys to No 10.

But today he joked about staying on until he is 80.

He was invited by Mr Paisley, along with Mr McGuinness and Mr Ahern, into the First Minister’s office for tea.

The politicians chatted on a sofa and broke into laughter like old drinking buddies as cameras flashed around them.

Mr Paisley inquired if Mr Blair had a good flight from London and remarked to Mr Ahern that he was in the midst of a general election.

“When you’re going out as an old man, I’m coming in as an old grandad,” joked Mr Paisley.

Mr Blair replied: “I should have learned a lesson from you and kept going until I was 80.”

He added: “Even at the most difficult periods, I have always found people personally very friendly here.”

Mr Paisley then added, to laughter: “I wonder why people hate me, because I’m just a nice man.”

Speaking of the inauguration ceremony, he said: There has been so much despising of it by the press and radio. It’s nice we did it with dignity and it was done correctly.“

Mr Blair wished Mr Hay well as the Speaker.

Mr Paisley said he had won the old seat of fallen dignitaries of nationalism in Foyle.

“He topped the poll. He had more votes than Mark Durkan. That was the amazing thing.”