Labour feuding 'will hit Ulster peace hopes'

Leadership battles within the British government could have a detrimental effect on the peace process in the North, a fringe event at the UK Labour conference was warned tonight.

As the North's politicians prepared for next month’s hothouse talks with the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair in St Andrew’s, Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey insisted the prime minister and his officials needed to be totally focused in Scotland on the peace process.