Tory government voices 'extreme reluctance' to take charge of NI after Gerry Adams demands 'no return to English rule' and calls for Dublin input

​It comes after warnings from Sinn Fein that it will not accept what Gerry Adams calls “English rule”.

In an interview with the Press Association (PA) news agency this week, the former Sinn Fein president had said that if the DUP refuses to go back into government, “then that’s up to the two governments to come back because we can’t have a return to English rule”.

He added “we have to have a full involvement by the Irish government along with the British government, unfortunately, with them seeking to fill the gap”.

On the radio on Thursday, Mr Baker was asked “how long do you let the limbo continue?” – referring to civil servants, not elected ministers, running Northern Ireland.

Mr Baker replied: “We said to ourselves weeks and months ago we needed to deal with this.

"That's why we've already set one budget... direct rule would be an extremely serious step and we'll try to persuade politicians to get on with the job they were elected to do.

"The Secretary of State, myself, Lord Caine, and the Prime Minister, will take a decision shortly on what will need to be done.

"But we are very clear that in the current political circumstances, to go for direct rule and have London ministers governing NI would be an extremely serious step, and it is one we're extremely reluctant to take.”