Ahern: Talks may continue all night

The talks are being held at a country house

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has said the political talks in Staffordshire may continue throughout the night in an effort to try to break the deadlock over the Northern Ireland political process.

Mr Ahern went back to Dublin on Tuesday for a court case and has now returned to the talks at Weston Park.

During the day, Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists held a 90 minute meeting.

Earlier, Mr Ahern said there had been "no progress so far" in the talks.

Speaking as he temporarily left the negotiations, Mr Ahern said that he and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were prepared to work through the night to get a deal.

Ceasefire

But he also warned that the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party's decision to quit the political process was "very unhelpful".

In another development on Tuesday, the loyalist paramilitary group, the UFF, said it was withdrawing its support for the Good Friday Agreement.

However, it added that it did not intend to end its ceasefire.

The talks aimed at breaking the impasse over the Agreement centre on former First Minister David Trimble's refusal to sit in government with republicans without arms decommissioning from the IRA.

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The discussions with the main pro-Agreement parties, led by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern, ended on Monday evening with no sign that a deal to save devolution would be achieved.

David Ervine: Angry at republican "wish list"

While the prime ministers hoped the secluded location would help the talks, David Ervine of the PUP, which is linked to the loyalist paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force, said his party was withdrawing from the current process.

He said the decision was taken because Sinn Fein had shown "minimal movement" compared to the concessions unionists had given, adding that the republican "wish list" was getting longer.

'Failed leadership'

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams accused the British Government of focusing too narrowly on IRA arms decommissioning as his party left Weston House on Monday night.

He said the government had failed to show sufficient leadership and that "a change of approach" was needed.

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

"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 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.

Gerry Adams: Demands change of approach

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

Meanwhile, Ian Paisley, the leader of the anti-Agreement DUP, said while he had "no desire to be at the talks" there could be no solution without his party.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday morning, he said the mandate of the DUP was being ignored by the party's exclusion.

The vast majority of unionists did not follow the Ulster Unionist leader's lead any more, he claimed and accused the UK Government of allowing itself to be "blackmailed by Sinn Fein".