Gerry Adams: SF will not be lectured to by Tony Blair

The Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams has said this morning that he will not be lectured to by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, or by any politician.

Mr Adams is meeting the British PM in Chequers in the UK this morning for the first time since the Belfast Bank heist, which has been blamed on the IRA.

Tony Blair is expected to tell Sinn Féin that republicans must cut all links with criminal and paramilitary activity they wish to be involved in power sharing.

Speaking before today's meeting, Gerry Adams denied that Sinn Féin had any criminal links, and described the allegations that they do have such links as “deeply offensive”.

He said: “We’re against criminality of any kind, whether it’s the brown envelope criminality, bank robberies or the robbery of people’s rights to public services.”

Mr Adams maintained: “We’re also going to this meeting not to recriminate, (but) to be positive, to try and move this process forward.”