Mary Lou McDonald walk-out: DUP leader wonders if Michelle O'Neill 'needs to be accompanied by a minder' to meetings

He was speaking the day after Sinn Fein complained that its president Mary Lou McDonald was excluded from political talks in Belfast with Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

Sir Jeffrey told the BBC: “There is protocol whereby the Foreign Secretary has not yet met his Irish counterpart and therefore he felt it would not be appropriate for him to meet with the Sinn Fein leader in Dublin until that meeting with the Irish government representative.

“This is the Northern Ireland parties that were invited to the talks.

“Michelle O’Neill, as the leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, was invited to those talks.

“If we are into a situation where Michelle O’Neill can only attend meetings with UK Government ministers if she is accompanied by the leader of Sinn Fein in Dublin, if she has to have a minder with her, that has very serious implications for future arrangements in Northern Ireland if Michelle O’Neill were to become the first minister.”

More on this story:

• 1 – Sinn Fein talks walk-out: 'If people want to be petulant it is up to them' says Ulster Unionist leader

• 2 – TUV asks why Mary Lou McDonald feels entitled to be part of talks about NI when she has 'no mandate' here

• 3 – Unionists should catch up with others and start using human rights language more, MPs are told