The British and Irish governments will tomorrow review the lack of progress in restoring devolution in Northern Ireland since the parties were given a November deadline to a breakthrough.
Northern Ireland Secretary of State Peter Hain and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern meet at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down to see if they can identify any progress since British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern set the clock ticking down to November 24th in April.
Mr Blair and Mr Ahern are expected in Belfast later in the week to re-emphasise to the parties the need for progress and remind them what will happen if they don't do the premiers bidding.
But with scant sign of movement Mr Hain was accused of double standards and being the reason behind the lack of recent political progress.
The Democratic Unionist Party North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds branded Mr Hain and Sinn Fein "a shoddy double act" which was extremely counter-productive to creating circumstances where confidence could be built towards establishing devolution.
He said there were two boycotts of the Assembly going on, Sinn Fein's refusal to attend, and Mr Hain's refusal to permit business to take place in the Assembly.
Mr Dodds said: "Mr Hain is displaying an atrocious attitude to the democratically elected representatives of Northern Ireland. He continues to stymie meetings of the Assembly for no apparent reason other than he feels the need to pander to Sinn Fein/IRA."
In an angry onslaught he said: "The glaring double standards of Peter Hain are now blatantly exposed. He calls the Assembly into being but vetoes meetings.
"He criticises MLAs but rejects efforts to ensure debate and discussion on the Assembly floor.
"He pours money into the coffers of Sinn Fein/IRA at Westminster which they never attend whist harping on about money to Assembly parties who do wish to attend the Assembly but are prevented by him."
PA