SoS may pass Stormont budget if no deal is reached

James Brokenshire spoke in the House of Commons on Tuesday and said he "continues to believe a deal can be reached" between the parties.

Mr Brokenshire told the House that if no deal could be reached, however, he would be forced to pass a budget for Stormont.

The Conservative politician said that a deal would be in "profoundly in the best interests for Northern Ireland."

DUP leader Arlene Foster accused Sinn Fein of adding to its "shopping list'' of demands rather than seeking compromises to restore power-sharing.

"Sinn Fein have a shopping list, a shopping list that seems to get longer every time we meet with them,'' she said.

"That is very disappointing for all of the people of Northern Ireland who make it very clear to us that they want to see devolution back up and running again on a fair and proportionate basis.''

"I think it's long past the time when we should be back in government."

Sinn Féin's MP Conor Murphy accused the DUP of not meeting the need for an Irish Language Act, same-sex marriage legalisation and measures dealing with the legacy of the Troubles.

"We don't see any urgency in terms of the DUP approach to this and we don't expect and don't think it is likely that there will be a deal in the short term because there is that lack of urgency,'' he said.

"We are in the bizarre situation, I'm sure it's unique to here, that over the summer time we have to break because the atmosphere becomes too hostile for political negotiations.''

Mr Murphy continued: "Now we find ourselves up against the Twelfth of July where the atmosphere becomes so hostile that the DUP are even less likely to move on some of these issues."