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The first round-table talks between all Northern Ireland’s major parties begin today.<\/p>\nThe first round-table talks between all Northern Ireland’s major parties begin today.<\/p>\n
The British and Irish governments should end their “hands off” approach and forcefully drive negotiations to a conclusion, the nationalist SDLP said.<\/p>\n
Politicians have been holding discussions since last month in a bid to break the long-running Stormont power-sharing impasse. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley is due to update the House of Commons on progress later this week.<\/p>\n
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: “If both governments continue to take a hands-off approach with this process, the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in will carry on threatening to write the obituary of the Good Friday Agreement.<\/p>\n
“Both governments need to wake up to the political reality that they are not bystanders in our politics.<\/p>\n
“It is the authority and the balance provided by the two governments which ultimately underpins the politics of Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
“Their job is not alone to be facilitators of these talks. Their job is to be forceful in finally driving these negotiations to a conclusion.”<\/p>\n
Mr Eastwood has called on the DUP and Sinn Fein to disclose what compromises they were prepared to make during a previous set of negotiations.<\/p>\n
Former Stormont deputy first minister Martin McGuinness’s resignation more than a year ago in a row over the running of a botched green energy scheme left the North without a devolved government.<\/p>\n
An endless series of talks involving the local parties and the British and Irish governments has failed to break the deadlock.<\/p>\n
Sinn F\u00e9in has called for an inter-governmental conference between the British and Irish to map a way forward.<\/p>\n
The DUP wants to see the restoration of direct rule by ministers from Westminster.<\/p>\n
Mr Eastwood called for a joint paper from the British and Irish governments outlining their view on a fair deal which could restore local government.<\/p>\n
He added: “Both governments now have every right to jointly and strongly intervene – they no longer have a right to let this farce go on.<\/p>\n
“After a year of waiting, they can be confident that far more people will thank them for intervening than those who will criticise them.”<\/p>\n