POLITICAL TALKS HIT STALEMATE BLAME GAME STEPPED UP AS HOPES OF DEAL FADE

HOPES of a deal to save power-sharing at Stormont are fading fast as the DUP and Sinn Fein continue to squabble over who is to blame for the deadlock.

Talks’ insiders last night warned that direct rule was increasingly likely to be introduced after Easter if the parties fail to reach agreement by the Good Friday deadline.

The DUP accused Sinn Fein of not being serious about wanting to restore the Executive and claimed that the party was making new demands every day.

Sinn Fein said that the DUP and the government needed to adopt a different attitude. The party’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, said that another election should be called if there wasn’t a deal by Friday.

Alliance warned that another election would alter nothing, while the SDLP accused the DUP of failing to recognise changing political realities here.

Ms O’Neill yesterday admitted that there was little prospect of agreement on the way forward.

Speaking following another day of negotiations — on the 19th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement — she insisted that Sinn Fein was committed to the talks.

“We have set out what we need to see delivery on and we need to see a different approach from the DUP and, indeed, from the British government,” she said.

“But, post-Friday, I think it is over to the electorate to have their say about the future.

“Clearly, Sinn Fein want to make these institutions work, but they have to work for all our citizens.”

However, the DUP blamed Sinn Fein for the lack of progress. “We did say to them that after some of the things they have said (recently) that we doubt they want a deal. That is very disappointing,” said party leader Arlene Foster.

“They are telling their people one thing and when they are in here they don’t seem to want to move and to compromise and to create the circumstances where we can go back into government.”

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds claimed that Sinn Fein was making new demands on a daily basis.

Mr Dodds said: “We are told this is about implementing previous agreements. But take Brexit. We have Sinn Fein now demanding special status for Northern Ireland. It’s a ludicrous new demand which is clearly not in the best interest of Northern Ireland and is preventing the formation of government.”

But SDLP leader Colum Eastwood challenged the DUP to “call Sinn Fein’s bluff ”. He said that if Mrs Foster’s party supported “all the things they agreed to in the past”, including an Irish Language Act, that would test Sinn Fein’s commitment.

“The DUP haven’t quite grasped the fact that things have changed. They haven’t quite grasped that if we just allow the Assembly, the majority of the members in there, to decide a lot of those issues then we could get things moving forward,” he said.

New Ulster Unionist leader Robin Swann said he was finding it difficult to remain positive. “We are seeing little sign of progress, but the UUP is still here and want to get a deal by Friday because we believe it is achievable,” he stated.

Mr Swann said that fresh elections would be an insult to those who had voted last month.

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry challenged Sinn Fein’s call for another election.

“Parties have already gone to the electorate twice in the past year, most recently just over a month ago,” he said.

“People have had their say and almost 65% of the available voters said they wanted to see devolution up and running again.

“Another election would solve nothing, except returning MLAs to talks about the same topics.”