British official meets political wing of UDA

The British government’s security minister for the North held talks with the political wing of the UDA this morning to discuss the status of the organisation’s ceasefire.

The meeting between Jane Kennedy and the Ulster Political Research Group was arranged after reports that the UDA was on the brink of officially calling off its ceasefire.

The British government stated a number of years ago that it no longer recognised the ceasefire because the UDA was continuing to carry out attacks on Catholics.

Ms Kennedy said she used today’s talks to call for an end to loyalist violence.