Sinn Fein rejects DUP bid to end stalemate

SINN Fein has rejected a DUP bid to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly and resolve division over cultural issues.

Leader in the North Michelle O’Neill said establishing a powersharing administration that may collapse after a matter of months over the same problems would only fail the people.

She said Arlene Foster’s latest proposal to break the political talks stalemate was nothing new and had been made knowing it would be rejected.

The Democratic Unionist chief called for a “common sense” solution appointing Stormont ministers alongside a time-limited process for making progress on the red line issue of an Irish language act and Ulster Scots.

Mrs O’Neill said: “This parallel process has been discussed and disregarded throughout the course of all the negotiations we have had to date.”

The intervention demonstrated unionists had not listened to or acknowledged the reasons for Martin McGuinness’s resignation from the head of devolved government which prompted its suspension earlier this year.

Mrs O’Neill added: “Establishing an Executive that may collapse after a matter of months on the same issues will only fail all our people. Let’s agree to quickly conclude talks on implementation and rights, that is the only way to build a sustainable Executive that will last.”

Powersharing has been in deep freeze since early this year when late Sinn Fein deputy first minister Mr McGuinness resigned in protest at the DUP’s handling of a botched green energy scheme which risks landing the taxpayer in millions of pounds of debt.

Talks aimed at restoring the institutions are due to resume on Monday led by the British and Irish governments. THERESA MAY has been given an audience with Emperor Akihito on the last day of her visit to Japan.

After two days of talks on trade and security with Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister steered clear of hard politics in the final hours of the trip.

At the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Mrs May spent 20 minutes in private talks with Japan’s symbolic figurehead, who is expected to abdicate because of ill health in the coming months.

The Prime Minister later headed off to watch a game of wheelchair basketball between Great Britain and Australia being held as part of the world challenge cup before meeting business leaders at an embassy reception.

Downing Street sources said the visit to Japan had been “highly successful” after Mrs May and Mr Abe agreed to boost defence links. The Japanese premier’s decision to say he had faith in the future of the British economy after Brexit also “particularly pleased” No 10.

The source said there had always been a close and friendly relationship between the UK and Japan but it has “gone up a level” after the visit.

Mr Abe told reporters the Prime Minister had been forceful in her reassurance about the Brexit process – a sign of Mrs May’s upbeat, confident approach, according to the source.

Mrs May spent the first two days of the visit in a series of meetings and visits with Mr Abe in Kyoto and Japan.

But she sparked a wave of criticism back in the UK after telling reporters she was “not a quitter” and planned to lead the Conservative party into 2022 general election.

Former party chairman Grant Shapps said it was “too early” for Mrs May to talk about going “on and on” like Margaret Thatcher.

But the PM dismissed the criticism, insisting the public wants the Government to “get on with the job” of dealing with the challenges facing the country.