Adams: DUP should respect SF mandate

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has told an influential audience of US politicians that the DUP should stop making up new reasons not to share power with republicans.

In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations last night, Mr Adams said the unionist party should instead knuckle down to delivering policies that people in the North badly need.

He said all parties should respect each other's mandates whatever their political disagreements.

Mr Adams was speaking amid ongoing debates about whether the November 24 deadline for the restoration of devolution in the North will be met.

The Irish and British governments have given the Northern parties until then to reach a deal on restoring the power-sharing Executive or face an indefinite suspension of the Assembly.

However, the DUP is still refusing outright to share power with Sinn Féin and has dismissed the looming deadline as meaningless.