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Brown set for talks at Stormont | Brown set for talks at Stormont |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Prime Minister Gordon Brown will travel to Northern Ireland later to address assembly members at Stormont and meet local political party leaders. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown will travel to Northern Ireland later to address assembly members at Stormont and meet local political party leaders. |
Mr Brown will tour a manufacturer in the Greater Belfast area before addressing MLAs. | Mr Brown will tour a manufacturer in the Greater Belfast area before addressing MLAs. |
The parties will press him for financial help to defer water charges and he will urge them to move on the issues blocking an executive meeting. | The parties will press him for financial help to defer water charges and he will urge them to move on the issues blocking an executive meeting. |
It has not met for three months, but a meeting is planned for Thursday. | It has not met for three months, but a meeting is planned for Thursday. |
The visit comes amid attempts to force a leadership contest in the Labour Party. | |
The party's National Executive Committee is expected to reject requests for leadership nomination forms from MPs unhappy with Mr Brown's performance. | |
Mr Brown will be attending the meeting of the NEC, followed by a Cabinet meeting and hold talks with the new Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari before travelling to Northern Ireland. | |
Peter Robinson has said the executive must meet | |
First Minister Peter Robinson has said he hopes the executive meeting will go ahead on Thursday, however, Sinn Féin has said not enough political progress has been made. | |
On Monday, the first minister faced questions in the assembly about the failure of the executive to convene since June. | On Monday, the first minister faced questions in the assembly about the failure of the executive to convene since June. |
However, Mr Robinson said there were more than two dozen issues that needed to be dealt with. | However, Mr Robinson said there were more than two dozen issues that needed to be dealt with. |
"The situation requires much more of me simply than grandstanding and scoring party political points," he said. | |
"What I do say is I would be deeply disappointed and the disappointment I have would be reflected right across this community, if the executive does not meet on Thursday." | "What I do say is I would be deeply disappointed and the disappointment I have would be reflected right across this community, if the executive does not meet on Thursday." |
The assembly got back to work at Monday lunchtime with DUP MLA Ian Paisley Junior raising a point of order about security searches ahead of the prime minister's visit. | The assembly got back to work at Monday lunchtime with DUP MLA Ian Paisley Junior raising a point of order about security searches ahead of the prime minister's visit. |
He wanted a reassurance that all offices will be searched. Some Sinn Féin assembly members had raised concerns about their offices being searched without prior notice. | He wanted a reassurance that all offices will be searched. Some Sinn Féin assembly members had raised concerns about their offices being searched without prior notice. |