Peace process facing gravest crisis

BERTIE AHERN will appeal to British Prime Minister Tony Blair not to suspend the Northern Ireland Government tomorrow after assurances Sinn Féin was not involved in IRA intelligence gathering.

The power-sharing executive moved closer to collapse last night as Ian Paisley’s DUP announced their two ministers will withdraw from the government today.

In a move designed to put pressure on David Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party to bring down the executive, conditional letters of resignation were submitted by Peter Robinson and Nigel Doods.