Is Sir Jeffrey up for taking the DUP back to Stormont?

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson warned the DUP may have to face up to new realities

It may have lacked the glitter and sparkle of other conference speeches but it was much more eye-catching.

And while the government will be encouraged by what it heard, the DUP leader stopped short of preparing the ground for a quick return to Stormont.

But Sir Jeffrey did offer the first sign in 18 months that he was up for leading his party back to Stormont.

If that happens then his conference speech on Saturday will be viewed as the moment the DUP turned a corner.

The party has indicated that the "gaps" in the negotiation are closing, but there are still issues to be resolved.

Expect those negotiations to be ramped up now the finishing line could be in sight.

Long-term future

Sir Jeffrey returned to familiar ground to gently nudge his party in a new direction.

He reminded delegates of the massive leap the party took 17 years ago to the day when it agreed to a power-sharing pact with Sinn Féin.

Back then the party leadership insisted it was the best route to securing the union's long-term future.

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The very same pitch Sir Jeffrey Donaldson used at the weekend warning if the party makes "the right choices now" it can "secure the union for generations to come".

But that he warned would come at a price in "being prepared to face up to new realities and adapting to new circumstances".

Direct rule is not a viable option, Sir Jeffrey said

The DUP leader also warned of the consequences of the party turning its back on devolution.

He rubbished any notion that direct rule was a viable option while warning of the danger of the DUP being isolated and being pushed to the "fringes".

'Rolled the dice'

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson didn't roll the pitch at the weekend, but he did park his roller on the touch line with the engine running.

He will now wait for a response from London and Brussels before taking to the pitch or not.

But as we know in Northern Ireland the toughest negotiation is always within parties and that could yet prove to be the stumbling block.

As one DUP politician who might be hard to convince put it: "Jeffrey has now rolled the dice and let's see what happens next."