Despite clash over Britishness of NI, DUP leader talks of '˜solid progress' with SF

During a Q&A session at a fringe event at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, Ms O’Neill had said “the North isn’t British” when asked if an Irish language act would make Northern Ireland less British.

Mrs Foster countered by saying “Northern Ireland is British”.

Earlier in a speech to those gathered at the Champ Ulster Fry breakfast event she said: “In recent weeks those discussions have intensified and I think it would be a fair characterisation to say that we have made solid progress in those talks with Sinn Fein.

“Differences do remain and hurdles have yet to be overcome but for our part we are determined to try to achieve an agreement that can be supported by unionists and nationalists and no where is this more important than in the area of how we deal with language and culture.”

The event was also attended by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, who said legislation to strick a budget for Northern Ireland at Westminster was “coming down the track quite rapidly”.