Northern parties pay tribute to Blair's role in peace process

The Northern parties are all responding to Tony Blair's announcement that he will retire as British Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party next month by paying tribute to his work in the peace process.

The DUP leader, Ian Paisley, said there were many issues on which he had not seen eye to eye with Mr Blair but his efforts had helped in ultimately securing devolution.

The Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, said he had made a significant and crucial contribution and devolution would not have been possible without him.

The SDLP leader, Mark Durkan, said that while he disagreed with the war in Iraq, Mr Blair deserved immense credit for his perseverance and the amount of time and personal capital he invested should never be underestimated.

The Ulster Unionist leader, Reg Empey, said his tactics and approach, while questionable on occasion, had delivered a lasting and stable political solution.