In it up to their necks

The Robinsons, Peter and Iris, are already in it deep.  But this snippet from Martin Fletcher’s column, highlighted by Iain Martin, raises the level of, erm, ordure:

“In 2007-08 the pair received a total of £571,939 from [their political] posts. They also use their parliamentary allowances to employ their two sons, daughter and daughter-in-law as aides.”

The problem, of course, is what happens when greater public disillusionment meets with Northern Ireland’s already quite fragile political process.  Seems like a pretty toxic combo to me.