All ‘hands’ on deck and talks still drag on..

The DUP have ridiculed Sinn Fein’s call for the Prime Minister and Taoiseach to intervene in Stormont talks, claiming republicans “don’t need anybody to hold their hands”. Edwin Poots was responding to the demand Theresa May and Leo Varadkar engage as a “matter of urgency”. After further negotiations at Stormont Castle yesterday – the day after Thursday’s deadline for agreement came and went – Mr Poots said: “I think Sinn Fein can do the business very quickly, they know what’s required of them – they don’t need anybody to hold their hands.

DECISIONS

“They just need to sit upstairs, make the decisions that need to be made and come and tell us of those decisions so we can get on with the business.” Accusing the DUP of refusing to budge on central issues, Sinn Fein negotiator John O’dowd earlier urged the two governments to press the main unionist party to give ground. Mr O’dowd claimed the DUP had become “emboldened” by its parliamentary deal with the Conservative Party at Westminster and had entrenched its stance at Stormont as a result. He added: “After weeks of negotiations the DUP have still not agreed to the rightsbased society that we require.”

The DUP have still not agreed to a rightsbased society JOHN O’DOWD SINN FEIN YESTERDAY I think SF can do the business.. they know what is required EDWIN POOTS DUP YESTERDAY

Christopher Stalford and Edwin Poots STUCK

STALEMATE John O’dowd and Declan Kearney