Spell out plan B on devolution, premiers told

Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair were today urged to spell out publicly before the November deadline for devolution in the North what they will do if it is missed.

Sinn Féin’s Mitchel McLaughlin issued the call after Northern Secretary Peter Hain warned Assembly members that he would slash the number of government departments in the North if they were unwilling to take the decision themselves in a devolved administration by November 24.