Northern Ireland faces prospect of return to direct rule as Stormont deadline for talks approaches

Political leaders in Northern Ireland have until this afternoon to broker a Stormont powersharing deal or risk direct rule from Westminster. 

At midday a sitting of the devolved Assembly in Belfast is due to nominate devolved ministers to a Sinn Fein and Democratic Unionist Party coalition government.

The formal deadline is 4pm or they face the prospect of some version of direct rule or yet another snap Assembly election.

James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland Secretary, said failure to strike a powersharing deal would have "profound and serious" implications.

The Assembly was suspended in March after the unionist parties lost their majority in Stormont and the two sides failed to agree on a new power-sharing deal.

Britain and Ireland act as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, the treaty that restored power to Stormont and ended the decades-long Troubles in the province.

Speaking on Thursday, Sinn Fein negotiator John O’Dowd said the DUP had “failed to resolve the issues which brought down the [devolved] institutions on January – rights, equality and respect”.

Asked if he was in favour of extending the deadline for another few days, he said: “I am not convinced that timescale is the problem. I think it all boils down to a willingness particularly by the DUP and the two governments to resolve the outstanding issues.

“These are implementation talks about outstanding agreements. Timescale is not the issue. It’s a willingness by the participants in the talks. No side has to compromise here because the compromises took place years ago. So there is an onus on the DUP and in particular the two governments to move this process forward.”

There are concerns over republican demands for an Irish Language Act, which would bestow official protection for the minority tongue, and equal rights for the LGBT community.

The DUP has told Sinn Fein to stop indulging in "high-wire acts" and get down to the job of delivering for the people.

The DUP is willing to legislate on the language issue, but only if Ulster Scots speakers are included in any Act - a condition Sinn Fein has rejected.