Adams to assess political situation in Belfast speech

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams is expected to give his assessment of the current political situation in the North during a speech in Belfast today.

Mr Adams is expected to tell pupils at St Malachy’s College that he is worried about a dangerous sense of drift in the political situation and the failure of the Irish and British governments to fulfil their commitments.

He is expected to accuse the British government of giving the DUP a veto over progress and to accuse the Irish political establishment of putting narrow self-interest above the national interest and the peace process.

The Sinn Féin leader is also expected to say that Irish republicans want to build relationships with unionists and would set no preconditions on talking to or sharing power with the DUP.