McGuinness urges Britain not to suspend Assembly

Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, has warned the British Government about the effect a suspension of the Northern Assembly could have on nationalist opinion in the North.

Mr McGuinness said the British should let the agreement take its course rather than preventing unionism from facing up to its responsibilities.

The Mid-Ulster MLA said suspending the institutions is a clear breach of the Good Friday Agreement and will be seen by nationalists as rewarding David Trimble for his intransigence.

Mr McGuinness also accused unionists and the British Government of trying to return to a situation where Catholics were treated as second class citizens.

"The fenians are about the place," he said, "and we're not going to the back of the bus for David Trimble, John Reid or for Tony Blair or anybody else. Those days are gone. They're over. The unionist leaders seem to have great difficulty in coming to terms with that."