Devolution talks at 'critical' stage

Published Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness is meeting the British and Irish governments as efforts to strike a deal on devolving policing powers to Stormont reach a critical phase.

Mr McGuinness is holding separate discussions with Secretary of State Shaun Woodward and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin.

DUP leaders are also to have top-level talks with government officials on Tuesday night after a further day of negotiations at Stormont.

Earlier both Sinn Fein and the DUP briefed representatives from the other political parties in the Assembly, in what was seen as a significant development.

The Ulster Unionists, the Alliance party and the SDLP met Peter Robinson and the DUP leadership, while Sinn Fein met the SDLP.

But Ulster Unionists warned they would not be "window dressing", as they joined the crunch talks.

"The suspicion is that it is a PR exercise", UUP MLA Basil McCrea told the media.

"We have made it clear to all parties that we're not there for window dressing. If there is not substantive engagement them the party will not be participating."

DUP environment minister Edwin Poots later played down rumours of trouble.

"I don't believe there is any particular wobble to the process," he said.

"Where we are at this point is we are narrowing down issues and those issues of concern will have to be resolved before all of the issues are resolved and ultimately we are working our way towards that."

Mr Poots also made clear that his party would not be bound by any Sinn Fein deadline.

"If there is to be a deal this week it will be a deal based on all the conditions being met, so we have always said we are not timebound, that we are condition-led."

UTV's Political Editor Ken Reid believes Wednesday will become "critical".

"We do get the feeling that we're at quite a delicate stage", he said.

Comments

3 Comments

Observer in Derry wrote (848 days ago):

Outsider: Peter Robinson stood down as First Minister for six weeks but when he made the annoucement he also stated that he would continue to be the chief DUP negotiator at the talks.

outsider in outside wrote (848 days ago):

I thought that Peter Robinson had stood down for 6 weeks. What is going on? First he appoints Foster and then turns up himself????

Maevis Montgomery in Newtonards wrote (848 days ago):

Oh for gods sake like why havent they been able to sort out all this rubbish by now??? It's bout time us northern irish ppl were represented by decent, clever politicians and not these cretins up @ stormont. The northern irish ppl say hurry up and sort it out NOW or GET OUT!!