Blair to meet SF ahead of devolution talks

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is to hold talks with the Sinn Féin leadership on Friday, just days before crucial talks on devolution for Northern Ireland, it emerged today.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, chief negotiator Martin McGuinness and Party chairperson Mary Lou McDonald will meet Mr Blair at Chequers.

Both sides are also due to take part in talks in St Andrews, Scotland, next Wednesday involving other Northern Ireland parties and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's government.

Devolution collapsed in the North almost four years ago.

Mr Blair and Mr Ahern hope they can secure an agreement involving the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin which will see them form a power sharing government at Stormont before November 24.

However, they have significant obstacles to overcome.

Mr Paisley's DUP wants assurances that the IRA has truly given up all criminal and paramilitary activity and they also want Sinn Féin to publicly endorse the Police service of Northern Ireland before a power sharing administration is formed.

Sinn Féin has insisted it will resolve the policing issue once a power sharing government is established.

This Friday's talks between Sinn Féin and Mr Blair will come two days after a report by ceasefire watchdog the Independent Monitoring Commission.

The British and Irish governments hope the report will go some way towards convincing the DUP that the Provisional IRA has wound down its operations.

Senior DUP members, however, have insisted they will not be swayed by the IMC's report alone and yesterday the party's Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson called for proof that the IRA's command and control structure had been dismantled.