Sinn Féin's four MPs have taken possession of their offices at Westminster, although they are not taking their seats in the Commons. The party leader, Gerry Adams, repeated that Sinn Féin would never sit in the British Houses of Parliament.
The four Sinn Fein MPs, Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Pat Doherty and Michelle Gildernew, have been allocated three offices between them. Administrative allowances for each MP are over stg £100,000. Conservatives and unionists said that Sinn Féin was still too closely linked to the IRA to be afforded special treatment at Westminster.
Earlier today Gerry Adams said that the British government would had to live up to its responsibilities in dealing with, what he described, as the Loyalist killing campaign against Catholics. The Sinn Féin President made his comments before talks with Tony Blair in London this morning. Mr Adams said that he would be raising the issue of recent Loyalist attacks.
