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| PM talks to avert Stormont crisis | PM talks to avert Stormont crisis |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams is expected to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London on Tuesday. | |
| The talks come amid mounting speculation Sinn Fein is prepared to derail Peter Robinson's elevation as Northern Ireland's first minister. | |
| Sinn Fein is known to be unhappy at the DUP's continued veto of devolving policing and justice, and other issues. | Sinn Fein is known to be unhappy at the DUP's continued veto of devolving policing and justice, and other issues. |
| The potential crisis could result in an assembly election being held to break the deadlock. | The potential crisis could result in an assembly election being held to break the deadlock. |
| It was expected to be a formality on Thursday after Ian Paisley stepped down as first minister to be replaced by Peter Robinson that Sinn Fein would nominate Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister. | |
| If Mr McGuinness is not nominated, the two parties have one week to resolve the issue before the secretary of state steps in. | If Mr McGuinness is not nominated, the two parties have one week to resolve the issue before the secretary of state steps in. |
| Shaun Woodward could call an election to break the deadlock. | Shaun Woodward could call an election to break the deadlock. |
| The potential crisis is serious enough to have got the attention of both London and Dublin with telephone diplomacy involving the two governments. | The potential crisis is serious enough to have got the attention of both London and Dublin with telephone diplomacy involving the two governments. |
| In a statement, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said his party was focused on talks to resolve outstanding issues such as the devolution of policing and justice and an Irish language act. | In a statement, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said his party was focused on talks to resolve outstanding issues such as the devolution of policing and justice and an Irish language act. |
| BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport said it was difficult to gauge how serious the situation was. | |
| "If they (Sinn Fein) don't actually nominate Martin McGuinness, then we get into what is being called 'the nuclear option'. | |
| "This would mean that the secretary of state would have to go for a fresh election which, on the face of it, you would think nobody would want at this stage. | |
| "My guess is that they would probably prefer to settle this, having won a concession here or there, rather than going the whole way." |