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| Northern Ireland government on brink of collapse | Northern Ireland government on brink of collapse |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government is on the brink of collapse after the Democratic Unionists failed to win enough support to adjourn the Stormont assembly. | Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government is on the brink of collapse after the Democratic Unionists failed to win enough support to adjourn the Stormont assembly. |
| Unless the prime minister, David Cameron – who No 10 said was “gravely concerned” about the situation – exercises powers to adjourn the regional parliament, the DUP has said it will quit the coalition government. | |
| Related: Northern Ireland's political crisis: the key questions answered | Related: Northern Ireland's political crisis: the key questions answered |
| Northern Ireland’s first minister and DUP leader, Peter Robinson, warned on Wednesday that only an adjournment – to allow emergency talks to take place over police claims that the IRA still exists – would stop him pulling his ministers out of the coalition in Belfast. | Northern Ireland’s first minister and DUP leader, Peter Robinson, warned on Wednesday that only an adjournment – to allow emergency talks to take place over police claims that the IRA still exists – would stop him pulling his ministers out of the coalition in Belfast. |
| But on Thursday Robinson and the DUP failed to persuade the smaller nationalist party, the SDLP, to back their adjournment motion. | But on Thursday Robinson and the DUP failed to persuade the smaller nationalist party, the SDLP, to back their adjournment motion. |
| The DUP and the Ulster Unionist party are protesting over police claims that individual IRA members killed their former comrade Kevin McGuigan in Belfast last month. | The DUP and the Ulster Unionist party are protesting over police claims that individual IRA members killed their former comrade Kevin McGuigan in Belfast last month. |
| The unionists say the IRA’s continued existence and allegations that they are still in the business of killing enemies is a major breach of an agreement nearly a decade ago that led to power sharing with Sinn Féin. | The unionists say the IRA’s continued existence and allegations that they are still in the business of killing enemies is a major breach of an agreement nearly a decade ago that led to power sharing with Sinn Féin. |
| Downing Street said Cameron was “gravely concerned” about the situation and was phoning Robinson and the Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers to discuss developments. | |
| Cameron’s official spokeswoman said: “The prime minister is gravely concerned about the situation. As he was saying in the House [of Commons] yesterday, we want to see all politicians in Northern Ireland working together to build a better future for the country and working to fulfil its great potential. | |
| “We have been encouraging talks between the parties so they can work through their issues.” | |
| Asked whether the PM was considering suspending the assembly, the spokeswoman said: “There are obviously now different people calling for different things, and the prime minister’s calls with the secretary of state and the first minister are an opportunity for us to consider what steps should be taken next.” | |
| The Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said: “The decision of the [assembly’s] business committee is a very, very clear democratic reiteration of the integrity of these institutions and of the need and the wish for these institutions to continue the work which we were all elected to do on behalf of citizens in this state and across this island.” | The Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said: “The decision of the [assembly’s] business committee is a very, very clear democratic reiteration of the integrity of these institutions and of the need and the wish for these institutions to continue the work which we were all elected to do on behalf of citizens in this state and across this island.” |
| Robinson issued his ultimatum on Wednesday after the arrest of three senior republicans, including Sinn Fein’s northern chairman Bobby Storey, over McGuigan’s murder. The men remain in custody. | Robinson issued his ultimatum on Wednesday after the arrest of three senior republicans, including Sinn Fein’s northern chairman Bobby Storey, over McGuigan’s murder. The men remain in custody. |
| Police have said current members of the IRA were involved in last month’s shooting of McGuigan in a suspected revenge attack for the murder of former IRA commander Gerard “Jock” Davison in Belfast three months earlier. | Police have said current members of the IRA were involved in last month’s shooting of McGuigan in a suspected revenge attack for the murder of former IRA commander Gerard “Jock” Davison in Belfast three months earlier. |
| The revelations about the IRA have heaped pressure on Sinn Féin to explain why the supposedly defunct paramilitary organisation is still in existence. | The revelations about the IRA have heaped pressure on Sinn Féin to explain why the supposedly defunct paramilitary organisation is still in existence. |
| The Executive cannot function without the DUP, the region’s largest unionist party. However, if the party resigns its ministerial posts the institutions will not fall immediately, as the party will be given seven days to renominate ministers. | The Executive cannot function without the DUP, the region’s largest unionist party. However, if the party resigns its ministerial posts the institutions will not fall immediately, as the party will be given seven days to renominate ministers. |
| If no renominations materialise then the power-sharing Executive will collapse, prompting the prospect of snap elections or a lengthy spell of direct rule. | If no renominations materialise then the power-sharing Executive will collapse, prompting the prospect of snap elections or a lengthy spell of direct rule. |
| The Ulster Unionists have already resigned from the Executive, claiming trust in Sinn Fein has been destroyed, but unlike the DUP they did not have the electoral weight to bring the institutions down by leaving them. | The Ulster Unionists have already resigned from the Executive, claiming trust in Sinn Fein has been destroyed, but unlike the DUP they did not have the electoral weight to bring the institutions down by leaving them. |