Pressure mounts on Paisley to cut deal on Executive

THE North plunged into a frantic round of political brinkmanship today as Dublin and London piled pressure on Rev Ian Paisley finally to cut a power-sharing deal in the wake of the Belfast Assembly poll.

With the DUP on course to gain ground as the results started to be declared for the 108 Stormont seats, the Loyalist hardliner was warned not to let the historic opportunity pass.

Voter turn-out was brisker than expected after a low-key campaign, as the DUP was poised to take its MLA tally to around 35 — the number thought necessary by observers for Rev Paisley to be able to claim a mandate to go into government with Sinn Féin.