Britain taking back seat in Northern Ireland row

The Government cannot tell Sinn Fein and the DUP how to share power, Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland Secretary, has said.

Ms Bradley insisted that her role was to “facilitate, not impose” so she would not be forcing a framework deal or a timetable to resume negotiations between the Stormont parliament’s deadlocked parties.

Mrs Bradley said: “I cannot tell two grown-up parties to come to an accommodation to form a devolved government.

“I cannot impose on them what that looks like. They have to do that themselves.”