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Stormont talks parked until after June 8 election

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire
Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire

The deadline for securing a deal to restore power-sharing has been pushed beyond June 8's general election.

The Stormont parties were told by Secretary of State James Brokenshire yesterday that agreement was unlikely during a potentially divisive election campaign.

Mr Brokesnhire had therefore decided to park the current talks process, which he had previously indicated would conclude in "early May".

It is understood three weeks of talks will be convened after the Westminster election, with the end of June now being proposed as a fresh deadline.

The British government is today expected to publish legislation to enable rates bills to be posted and a regional budget to be put in place. The legislation, which will be fast-tracked through Westminster, will also include provision for the creation of an executive should there be a successful conclusion to the talks.

Earlier in the day Sinn Féin had accused the British government of wanting power-sharing to fail.

After meeting the secretary of state, the party's northern leader Michelle O'Neill said Theresa May did not want a Stormont executive that was opposed to Brexit.

"There is a growing belief out there among the wider nationalist community that the government don't want a power-sharing executive to work here," the Mid Ulster MLA said.

"They don't want an executive that is going to take a firm stand against Brexit because obviously the majority of people here voted to remain in the European Union."

The former Stormont agriculture minister said Sinn Féin and the public wanted the Stormont institutions restored. She again accused the prime minister of showing a "blatant disregard to the people of the north".

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Theresa May’s snap Westminster election was a "destructive intervention" that made agreement in the talks less likely.

"It now appears that the timeline for agreement will be pushed back to June, after the election, increasing uncertainty for community and voluntary sector groups, making the health service crisis more acute and leaving government departments with no strategic leadership," he said.

"That’s how little Theresa May and her government thinks of this place."

Alliance leader Naomi Long said the talks participants were "never in a compromising mood coming up to an election".

But she said it would be better if an agreement could be reached soon.

Meanwhile, shadow secretary of state David Anderson has said he will not contest the forthcoming general election.

The 63-year-old MP for Blaydon cited personal and health reasons.