Brexit 'may reduce prospect of co-operation' in Northern Ireland

Senator George Mitchell - credited with brokering the Good Friday Agreement - fears Brexit has added to the challenge of peace-making in Northern Ireland.

Sen Mitchell told Sky News he hoped it would not hinder the establishment of a new power-sharing government at Stormont.

:: Sen Mitchell: Brexit threat to peace-making

He said: "I believe that the European Union was an important factor that led the United Kingdom and Ireland to co-operate in establishing a process that led to the Good Friday Agreement and I think the UK being out of the European Union may reduce the prospect for further co-operation."

The fear of a hard Irish border post-Brexit had already unsettled Sinn Fein. The Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a public finance scandal signalled the end of their partnership.

:: What does the Northern Ireland crisis mean for Brexit?

Northern Ireland goes to the polls on Thursday and political parties will have three weeks to form a new devolved government or face the return of direct rule from Westminster.

Some claim there won't be reconciliation until the mandatory coalition, established under the agreement, is replaced by voluntary power-sharing.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said: "The fact that one party was able to plunge us into all of this election, a totally unnecessary election… we may need to look at the whole system of government as to whether we can do things differently in the future."

But Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill disagreed: "I think that you have to realise that we are a society coming out of conflict. We can only be in government and share power with people who are absolutely wedded to the principles of the Good Friday Agreement."

Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said: "I think next time there is a partnership at Stormont Castle, the seat of power of the Executive, it has to be between two parties who are there not because the law says they have to share but because they want to share."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood added: "If we keep electing two extreme parties, two parties that don't want to work together, that can't work together, then we're going to have problem after problem after problem and we have to take opportunities now to vote for the middle ground."

Naomi Long, who leads the middle-ground Alliance, said: "I actually think the form of devolution we have doesn't encourage people to co-operate, to work together. Consociationalism in the rigid form that we have actually encourages people to retreat into their trenches at every election."