Premiers face further talks to save NI assembly

Published on Tuesday 26 January 2010 21:50

NORTHERN Ireland's political parties met face-to-face for crunch talks last night as the British and Irish governments expressed hopes the region's power-sharing administration could be saved.

The round table meeting chaired by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Taoiseach Brian Cowen at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, brought together the Democratic Unionists, Sinn Fein, the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance Party for the first time during the talks.

The plenary session marked the first occasion all the main political leaders have sat down in the same room since the marathon negotiations to resolve the row over devolving policing powers was dramatically convened by the two governments on Monday.

Afterwards Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward said: "It was a very constructive exchange of views around the table, the party leaders spoke and contributed their views in a plenary session. The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach are now re-engaging in talks with representatives from the parties and there is a real spirit of co-operation, I think a real willingness to want to make progress."

Irish foreign affairs minister Michel Martin echoed the sentiments. "It was a very constructive meeting and I think the Taoiseach and the Prime Minister are clear that there is a real willingness to make progress and to resolve the outstanding issues," he said.

Despite the development there are still no signs of an imminent breakthrough in the wrangle that has threatened the future of the fragile Stormont Executive, but the two governments said a "positive platform" had been created.

It also emerged the US administration is keeping a close eye on the negotiations, with Mr Brown holding a telephone conversation with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton yesterday afternoon.

As the talks convened, DUP leader Peter Robinson said he was prepared to hammer out a deal.