Foster: move to direct rule must happen if talks fail

Noting that a Stormont budget for the next financial year needed to be set, she said any new talks process had to be “short, meaningful and substantive”.

Mrs Foster said if new negotiations failed to deliver a breakthrough then Mrs Bradley had to move to put direct rule ministers in place.

“The clock is ticking in relation to the government of Northern Ireland, we haven’t had a government now for over a year,” she said.

“I think she’s (Mrs Bradley) heard directly today from people that they want to see government back here and if it’s not going to be a devolved administration then it will have to be some sort of an administration direct from Westminster.

“Of course we don’t want that – we want devolution, but we can’t continue without a government here in Northern Ireland. So time is short and the clock is ticking.”

Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill had been due to meet Mrs Bradley in person yesterday. Plans were, however, changed and a phone call was instead arranged between the two, with the meeting put back to next week.

Mrs Foster claimed the reschedule was linked to criticism the republican party has received since the controversial video posted by West Tyrone MP Barry McElduff last Friday. He has since been suspended by the party on full pay.

Asked for her reaction to the postponement of the meeting between Mrs Bradley and Mrs O’Neill, the DUP leader said: “It’s another indication that all is not well in Sinn Fein and they are a party in disarray at present.”

A Sinn Fein spokesman said the meeting had not gone ahead due to clashing diary commitments.

He branded Mrs Foster’s claim as “nonsense”.

“Arlene Foster might be better focusing on the denial of rights that people enjoy everywhere else on these islands,” he added.