Talks drag on in the North

Negotiations to save the North’s powersharing government are continuing tonight after a rebellion within Democratic Unionist ranks raised fears of a worsening crisis.

Talks involving the Irish and British governments, Sinn Féin, plus the DUP resumed at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down, after hopes for an agreement on policing, justice and parades were apparently derailed yesterday by tensions within the unionist party.

The DUP today rejected reports of a revolt and restated their support for their leader Peter Robinson, but it is understood up to 40% of the party’s Assembly team refused to back the plans for a deal.

Mr Robinson, fresh from the scandal that his wife Iris had secured £50,000 (€57,199) from two property developers to set up her teenage lover in business, now faces a battle to secure an agreement his party can support.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said tonight: “Despite the speculation and innuendo being peddled by unidentified sources and some sections of the media, the DUP Assembly Group has endorsed the work of our negotiating team and has given its unanimous support to the DUP leadership to continue working on the outstanding issues.”

He added: “Peter is a first class unionist leader and enjoys the full support of the Party.”

Taoiseach Brian Cowen and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown were on standby yesterday to travel to Belfast to put their seal on a final deal after both parties reported major progress following a week of round-the-clock discussions.

A deal is expected to cover the devolution of policing and justice powers from Westminster to the Assembly by May, a key republican demand, plus new arrangements on overseeing loyal order parades, which is sought by unionists.

Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist leaders briefed their Assembly groups at Stormont yesterday morning.

But after the internal republican talks were swiftly concluded and the DUP discussions ran on for most of the day, details emerged of problems within the unionist camp.

It is now understood more than a third of DUP members rejected the proposals outlined to them by Mr Robinson, with dissatisfaction over arrangements for overseeing controversial Orange Order parades high on the list of concerns.

After negotiations resumed this morning at Hillsborough, further party briefings took place at Stormont, but there was speculation that the process could continue until at least Thursday before a conclusion is reached.

Sinn Féin Assembly member Alex Maskey said there were some outstanding issues to be decided.

“There are not that many, they are not that major, we believe that we can do that quickly. We are only concerned about the leadership given by the DUP in reaching agreement with ourselves,” he said.

“We are satisfied that a deal can be concluded, the deal needs to be concluded quite quickly and our focus is entirely on making sure the good work and progress that has been made in recent days can be built upon.”

He denied Sinn Féin was under any pressure from any quarter but said he understood the public’s anxiety that a solution be reached.

He added: “Our focus is making sure we can get a deal. We would not be talking at Hillsborough or anywhere else if we didn’t believe that there was a prospect of getting a positive outcome.

“We believe there is a prospect of getting a deal, we are there to get that.”

SDLP leader Mark Durkan today urged the parties to secure a deal.

“You always have the big problem here that if things don’t move forward, do they slide back?” he said.

Mr Durkan drew parallels with the current DUP difficulties and an earlier period of the peace process when the then Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader David Trimble faced constant pressure from hardliners in his party who opposed dealing with republicans.

The subsequent tensions were seen by many to have eventually weakened Mr Trimble’s hand.

“Some of these issues are being treated as if they are the private property of the DUP and some of its more doubting members at that,” said Mr Durkan of the current talks.

“It is not the best of way doing things, leaving things resting on the opinions of a few people inside one party.

“We had that problem earlier in this peace process, with things centring on some of the doubters and dissidents within the UUP, and the questions always being asked whether Trimble would prevail against some of their doubts and tactics.

“We don’t want to be back into that sort of syndrome.”

But East Derry DUP MP Gregory Campbell, often identified as a party sceptic wary of a deal with republicans, said the DUP enjoyed a “healthy debate” over a range of issues within the Assembly group.

“The party is united in its determination to get the best deal for not just the unionist community and of course for Northern Ireland as a whole but to ensure that it is a durable deal, that remains our focus.”

Critics of the longrunning talks process noted that today is Groundhog Day in the US.

The annual event is observed in Pennsylvania as part of folklore around weather predictions, but it inspired a 1993 film starring Bill Murray where he had to relive the same day over and over again.

Ulster Unionist leader Reg Empey said if a DUP/Sinn Féin deal was agreed his party would consider its contents before deciding their position, but he warned that the public was becoming increasingly disenchanted with the length of time it was taking to seal a deal.

Empey said: “It is hugely embarrassing to the government, hugely embarrassing to the Prime Minister and I think it is hugely embarrassing for Northern Ireland.”