Brown in Belfast security power talks
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is in Belfast today meeting politicians threatening to bring down the power-sharing agreement and throw the system into crisis.
He is to hold talks with party leaders at Stormont over security powers as negotiations continue to resurrect Thursday’s scheduled ministerial Executive meeting.
The Executive has not met since June because of a Sinn Féin protest over the failure to devolve policing and justice to a local minister.
Sinn Féin and majority coalition partners the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) have been locked in negotiations in an attempt to resolve the impasse.
The DUP is calling for business to be resumed to help thousands of people affected by the credit crunch and rising prices but has opposed immediate transfer of policing and justice.
Mr Brown will meet DUP First Minister Peter Robinson and Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, the five party leaders and will address MLAs during his short visit to Stormont.
Yesterday Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward published a survey showing that most people support devolving policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland within the next year.
Polling showed 58% backed handing down security powers from Westminster.
Mr Woodward’s Northern Ireland Office (NIO) has consistently pressed for the move, even though a deadline of last May was missed.
In the latest survey, carried out earlier this month, 1,443 people were asked about the timescale for action.
The highest proportion (36%) backed action within the next few months, another 22% within the next year, while 12% said never and 16% favoured within the next few years.
Pressure was greatest among Sinn Féin supporters (82%) but half of DUP voters (51%) also backed the shift within the next 12 months or sooner.
