Parties in bid to start peace talks

Northern Ireland political parties were gathering today to discuss implementing the Good Friday Agreement.

However, the parties which do not attend the round-table talks at Stormont could show the true extent of the current difficulties in the peace process.

The Progressive Unionist Party, which is linked to the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force, has already said it will not attend after claiming it was excluded from earlier negotiations.

The Ulster Unionist Party was deciding after a meeting of party members later this morning whether it would attend the talks.

Party leader David Trimble was not going to Stormont as he was joining SDLP deputy leader Brid Rodgers at a conference in Barcelona to discuss progress in the peace process.