No sign of deal after intensive talks

Gerry Adams: "Same problems remain after talks"

Talks on the Northern Ireland political process broke up on Monday evening with no sign a deal would be achieved to save devolution.

Monday evening's session of intensive talks at Weston Park in Staffordshire involved Prime Minister Tony Blair, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the three main pro-Agreement parties - the Ulster Unionist Party, SDLP and Sinn Fein.

It concluded the first of two days of discussions brokered by the British and Irish governments to try to break the impasse in the Northern Ireland political process.

The two prime ministers hope the talks in Weston House will find a way for the power-sharing institutions to function following David Trimble's resignation as the province's first minister on 1 July.

	:	Fast Facts Primer
Click above to launch a primer on where all the parties stand on the deadlock

Speaking after the parties left Weston House on Monday night, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the day had been "reasonably useful as far as Sinn Fein was concerned".

However, he accused the British government of failing to show sufficient leadership and said that "a change of approach" was needed.

All of the issues that were outstanding this morning are still outstanding now

Gerry Adams

"That requires, especially the British government, being prepared to show leadership on all of pertinent issues. I have to say that I am still waiting for evidence of that.

"I think today proved among other things that a change of venue doesn't suffice - there is a need for a change of approach.

"All of the issues that were outstanding this morning are still outstanding now."

The parties are discussing the issues blocking the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement - paramilitary arms decommissioning, policing and demilitarisation.

The Ulster Unionist delegation, led by party leader David Trimble and the SDLP delegation led by party leader John Hume and deputy leader Seamus Mallon left Weston House without comment on Monday night.

The second day of the two days of talks is expected to start at about 0830 BST on Tuesday.

PUP 'may withdraw from talks'

Meanwhile, some of the smaller pro-Agreement parties have expressed anger at being excluded from the talks on Monday evening.

The Alliance Party, Progressive Unionist Party, Ulster Democratic Party and Women's Coalition are not expected to be invited back to the talks unless there is the prospect of a deal between the main pro-Agreement parties.

Billy Hutchinson: "PUP executive will decide our next step"

Billy Hutchinson of the PUP, which is linked to the loyalist paramilitary UVF, said his party was considering withdrawing from the process.

As he arrived back in Belfast on Monday night he said: "Ahern he said: "We went to the discussions today to find out if Sinn Fein was real and the IRA was real in this process, and whether they wanted to continue.

"Obviously we didn't get any answers."

Mr Hutchinson said he would wait until Tuesday to see what his party executive decided.

"I'm not saying we are saying we are pulling out, all I am saying is that we will be talking to our executive about the future of the process," he said

Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition said she believed the issues could only be resolved if all of the parties which signed the 1998 Good Friday Agreement were involved in the current discussions.

However, speaking before Monday's round-table talks, Mr Blair and Mr Ahern said they were optimistic progress could be made.

Mr Ahern said he believed there "could be a successful conclusion".

Mr Blair said there was a deep sense of obligation "to crack the remaining issues".

Security remains tight at the talks venue. The police have sealed off Weston Park House in Staffordshire and its surrounds, with the media being kept outside the five mile long perimeter wall.