Tories end cross-party support in Sinn Fein protest

The Conservative Party in Britain today ended more than three decades of co-operation over Northern Ireland in protest at the British government’s plans to allow Sinn Fein MPs to use offices at Westminster.

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Quentin Davies said that Labour’s behaviour had made it impossible to continue a policy of cross-party support for government action in the North.

Fierce opposition is expected in the Commons today, as Leader of the House Robin Cook seeks to push through a motion enabling MPs who have not taken up their seats to use Westminster facilities and claim allowances to run an office.

Mr Davies said that the move was the latest in a series of concessions to republicanism which meant the Conservatives could no longer take a bipartisan approach.

He later said: ‘‘We cannot possibly have a bipartisan arrangement in the present circumstances - the Government has made that impossible.’’