Stormont crisis as talks to strike power deal collapse
TALKS aimed at establishing a new power-sharing government in Northern Ireland broke down last night ahead of today’s 4pm deadline.
Fresh Stormont elections or direct rule from Westminster could now be imposed by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire after parties failed to strike a deal.
Power-sharing collapsed in January after a row over a botched green energy scheme predicted to cost the taxpayer up to half a billion pounds. Sinn Fein, which has said it will not share power with the Democratic Unionists’ leader Arlene Foster until a public inquiry is concluded, has now called time on the current talks. Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams said: “The DUP have to work with us and any other party in there.” But he added: “Will we be back, will we get the institutions in place? Yes.”