MEMBERS of the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body, which meets for its bi-annual session in Dublin Castle on Monday and Tuesday, may have matters as serious as terrorism and BSE on the agenda but one subject will be on all minds - elections.
Several members of each parliament may lose their seats and thus this will be their last attendance at the body. Among the possible repercussions is that the Joint chairmen, Tory MP Peter Temple Morris and FG deputy Paul Bradford, may be forced to go.
Should Tony Blair win in Britain, Labour MP Roger Stott is set to take over as joint chair? Here, it will be remembered that despite representations when John Bruton replaced Albert Reynolds in the upheavals of late 1994, the Irish joint chair, FF's Dermot Ahern, got a quick heave-ho from the new government. A similar treatment is likely to be meted out to Paul Bradford should the Coalition lose power.
Meanwhile, a group similar to the British Irish body is being set up to foster transatlantic relations. US Speaker Newt Gingrich will announce over St Patrick's weekend in Washington the establishment of a forum comprising the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee. It will meet on alternative years in Ireland and the US.