Sinn Féin block Cabinet meeting in North

A crunch meeting of the North’s Cabinet was cancelled today, but parties met for talks in the absence of Sinn Féin ministers.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Peter Robinson had threatened serious consequences if the meeting planned for today – the first cabinet meeting to be held in three months – did not go ahead.

But Sinn Féin defied the DUP and blocked today’s planned meeting, leaving the ministers from the DUP, Ulster Unionist Party and SDLP to hold their own separate round-table talks.

Mr Robinson held discussions with the unionist and nationalist ministers in his Stormont office, while Sinn Féin’s deputy first minister Martin McGuiness continued his own work in his office upstairs.

The work of the North's government has been disrupted by a long-running dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin regarding a series of issues. including the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Assembly, education reform and the promotion of the Irish language.

Both parties had been involved in talks aimed at resolving their differences and securing agreement for a full Cabinet meeting.

The inter-party talks that took place without Sinn Féin cannot have Cabinet status, but were described as an attempt to raise important bread and butter issues.

On his way into the talks at Stormont Castle, the DUP Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said: “We are here to do business.

“There are important issues that need to be resolved for ordinary members of the public and this is the place to do it.”