The Prime Minister has called for renewed talks to break Stormont’s powersharing impasse as two rows about the legacy of the Troubles emerged as further roadblocks in the way of a deal.
Theresa May urged a further round of negotiations after holding separate meetings with Democratic Unionists and Sinn Fein delegations at Downing Street.
But the prospects of any imminent breakthrough in the eleven month standoff appeared to recede further after DUP leader Arlene Foster exited No 10 claiming Sinn Fein’s “glorification of terrorism” was making a deal more difficult.
DUP leader Arlene Foster outside Number 10 (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
Mrs Foster was referring to the scenes at Sinn Fein’s party conference in Dublin on Saturday when delegates roared their approval when told the late Martin McGuinness was a “proud member of the IRA”.
While the DUP was angry about that incident, Sinn Fein emerged from No 10 with its own Troubles related complaint, accusing the Government of adding a proposed amnesty for UK security forces to a public consultation document on potential mechanisms for dealing with the legacy of the conflict.
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the insertion of the statute of limitations proposal, one he said amounted to an “amnesty”, was an “act of bad faith” done without the knowledge of his party or the Irish government.
Sinn Fein’s leadership team leave Downing Street following talks with the PM (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
The Prime Minister said she did not underestimate the challenge of striking an agreement to restore devolution, but she said she believed the differences between the two main parties were small and could be resolved.
“I believe it is imperative the parties come back together next week for talks and that we resolve these differences,” said Mrs May.
Outside Downing Street, Mrs Foster claimed Sinn Fein was glorifying the murders of innocent people.
“We did say to the Prime Minister that the glorification of terrorism at the weekend at the Sinn Fein conference was making it more difficult to bring around devolution,” she said.
“We are talking about a deal unionism and nationalism can live with.
“They are talking about nationalism and that’s it.”
Emerging after his own meeting with Mrs May, Mr Adams insisted: “I didn’t see any glorification of anyone at the Ard Fheis.
“I also, standing outside the office of the British Prime Minister, want to refute the use of this term ‘terrorism’.
“Pejorative terms like that, which are about the sons and daughters of families, husbands and wives of families, who happened to serve in the Irish Republican Army and who died in the conflict, I don’t use those terms.
“So let’s have a wee bit of sense about this.”
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Asked about the difficulties in striking a deal, Mr Adams added: “I’m too long going in and out of this place to let anything annoy me.
“I understand how change works, it works when those who want change are prepared to engage with those who don’t want change and persuade them it is in everybody’s interests.”