The first ministers of Northern Ireland and Scotland will co-operate to redraw the relationships between the UK's devolved assemblies and Westminster, it was announced yesterday.
Dr Ian Paisley, accompanied by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, and the Scottish first minister Alex Salmond said they looked forward to working with the new Welsh first minister on matters of mutual interest.
Mr Salmond, elected to lead the Scottish administration on May 16th, spoke in favour of co-operating closely with Stormont and working in the British-Irish Council and in joint ministerial committees.
In his formal address to a gathering of Assembly members in the former senate chamber at Stormont, Mr Salmond spoke of a fresh start in dealings with London, not just for Scotland, but for Northern Ireland as well.
He said both Stormont and Holyrood now shared a "political model based on necessary compromise" which could "teach Westminster about the art of inclusive, reflective government in the 21st century".
"I sat for too long on the Westminster benches watching orders in council dictate important matters in Northern Ireland without so much as a 'by your leave' to be much impressed by that system," he said.
A central part of his strategy, he said, to address the Scottish interest revolved around re-energising "external relationships". These had too long been "seen through the prism of the Westminster government".
Pointing to the unresolved nature of the national debate on both sides of the Irish Sea, Mr Salmond added: "The time is ripe for Scotland and Northern Ireland to renew our engagement and to look afresh at areas where we can co-operate and advance our mutual interests.
"We face similar economic challenges in responding to the modern global economy. The remarkable transformation of the Irish economy is well documented and serves as an inspiration for Scotland. Scotland's government believes very strongly that, with measures such as low competitive tax, we can match or even exceed that success."
Noting the importance of the call for lower corporation tax in the North to match that of the Republic, he said: "What matters about the example is not just the substance of the policy - with which I wholeheartedly concur - but the recognition that tackling poverty and long-term under-performance of regional or national economies is a matter that can unite all parties, regardless of their political stances."
He cited the British-Irish Council, established in 1999, as "the best mechanism we currently have for Scotland and Northern Ireland to work together within the devolved structure." He pledged the assistance of the Scottish executive "to help this Assembly grow and develop in whatever ways the people represented in this chamber so decide".
Mr Salmond told Assembly members that new administrations in Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff would offer Westminster "totally new perspectives". Better for London to hear "combined wisdom" from a trio of assemblies and parliaments, he said.