Theresa May to meet Bill Clinton to discuss Northern Ireland political crisis

Theresa May will meet former US President Bill Clinton to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Northern Ireland.

Mr Clinton, who played a key role in securing the Good Friday Agreement, will visit the Prime Minister in Number 10 on Thursday after attending meetings with Northern Irish leaders in Belfast this week.

The DUP and Sinn Fein have been embroiled in crunch talks to end nine months of political deadlock after the executive collapsed in January in the wake of the resignation of the late Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "He and the PM wanted to take this opportunity to discuss Northern Ireland and also the ongoing partnership between the Government and the Clinton Health Access Initiative's work to lower the cost of HIV/Aids treatment worldwide."

Mr Clinton met privately with DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill during a visit to Belfast but Mrs May's spokesman made clear that he had not been used to deliver a message on behalf of the Government.

"Obviously work is ongoing in trying to reach a solution to get the compromises that are necessary to get the devolved administration up and running again," the spokesman said.

It comes as Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said progress to restore power-sharing had stalled over culture and language issues, forcing him to set a new deadline for a deal.

He said parties had to reach an agreement by the end of October, to give Westminster time to prepare to set a budget the following week.

Mr Brokenshire told the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster: "A breakthrough has not been reached. Whilst if I had given evidence to this committee last week, I might have indicated some momentum, some more positive progress, that momentum stalled at the end of last week."

He added: "The prospects do not look positive at this time."

Mr Clinton has been a champion of Northern Ireland's peace process and contributed to securing the 1998 Good Friday Agreement when he was in the White House.