Party prizes

The Reverend Ian Paisley's firebrand Democratic Unionist Party lost no time in denouncing a £300 bursary at Queen's University, Belfast, in the name of murdered nationalist solicitor Pat Finucane as "insensitive to unionist students". But that was before it was won by Emma Little for coming top of her class in professional legal studies. Ms Little is deputy president of the student union - as a DUP candidate.

She said: "It came as a complete shock to me." A DUP spokesman said the award was the "ultimate irony" but magnanimously congratulated Ms Little.