Elections to proceed without power deal

ELECTIONS to Northern Ireland’s Assembly will proceed without any deal in place to guarantee power sharing government after polling day.

The plug was effectively pulled last night on negotiations to repair the peace deal which fell apart in the fiasco at Hillsborough Castle when David Trimble sought specific details on the IRA’s latest act of decommissioning.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are expected to make statements on the troubled process this morning and confirm that negotiations have been parked until after the Assembly elections on November 26.