Mr Tony Blair has agreed to meet Mr Gerry Adams and Mr Martin McGuinness in Downing Street this morning at Sinn FΘin's request. There is speculation that the Prime Minister would hardly take time for the meeting unless he believed it could advance the political process in the North.
The possible collapse of the Northern Ireland institutions moved closer yesterday when Mr David Trimble announced that the three UUP ministers would withdraw from the Executive immediately before formally resigning, probably next Monday.
This followed the failure in the Assembly of UUP and DUP motions to exclude Sinn FΘin from the Executive because of the IRA's failure to decommission. DUP ministers are due to leave the Executive at the same time as their UUP counterparts. Mr Trimble yesterday warned that the only hope of avoiding the indefinite suspension of the Belfast Agreement and a return to direct rule now rested with the IRA making a substantive gesture on arms.
The Sinn FΘin leader, Mr Adams, said the weapons issue could be resolved "as quickly as possible" but not on the basis of "unionist threat or ultimatum".
It emerged yesterday that the UUP and Sinn FΘin have opened up a channel of communication in an attempt to find a way around the impending crisis.
Seven working days must elapse after the resignations before the Northern Secretary, Dr John Reid, has to decide what action to take - most likely a review of the agreement and suspension of its institutions. This is likely to ensure that suspension will not be necessary until October 24th.
