Sinn Fein won't even talk, never mind do a deal: Campbell

“It seems as if they are putting preconditions into having the discussions, never mind preconditions into establishing the Executive,” the East Londonderry MP told the News Letter yesterday.

And, with the financial new year fast approaching, Mr Campbell said that if a successful conclusion is not reached within the next month then some form of direct rule will be inevitable.

His comments come amid BBC reports that the UK government is to announce a plan for fresh talks next week.

Asked by the News Letter about the future of the negotiations to restore power-sharing, a government spokesperson said: “The secretary of state’s priority continues to be the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

“He will continue to work with the political parties, and, as appropriate, the Irish government, to explore with them how they may best engage with each other to agree the basis for the formation of an Executive.”

Mr Campbell said: “We get to the end of the financial year in about 10 weeks time.

“In advance of that, you have to plan at the end of January and the beginning of February for your entire 12 months. You can take the decisions in March. You can’t wait until the first of April.

“If there isn’t a devolved minister in place and no sign of there going to be one, then the secretary of state has to do it himself, or he brings in a minister of state under direct rule. There is no avoiding of that.”

The DUP MP said Sinn Fein has “knocked on the head” his expectation that talks to restore the Executive would resume in the coming days.

In an interview with BBC Radio Foyle shortly after Christmas, Mr Campbell had said he expected a fresh round of talks to begin “within the next 10 days”.

However, he told the News Letter yesterday that a statement issued by Sinn Fein within hours of his radio interview appears to rule out any fresh talks.

Sinn Fein MLA John O’Dowd had said: “After the last phase of talks failed Sinn Fein met with both the taoiseach and British prime minister to make clear that it is now their responsibility to bring forward proposals for meaningful talks which have agreement as an objective and can reach a successful conclusion.”

Mr Campbell said: “At least in the interim period that knocks on the head any notion of a new push in the new year to get talks up and going. We now wait and see what the secretary of state does.”

He added: “We are only going to get a resolution to the problems if we have discussions. Sinn Fein, just before Christmas and now after Christmas, seem to be rowing back not just from re-establishing the Executive but rowing back from re-establishing talks to set up the Executive. That takes some beating for setting up barriers.

“There will only be a resolution if we have a discussion.”

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey said: “It’s not down to where the talks are being held, it’s down because the commitment wasn’t there.

“We want to see real commitment on the table, where it is meaningful dialogue, where an outcome can be reached, where it is equality for everyone in our society.”