The British Prime Minister and Chancellor are to visit the North on Thursday in a bid to help stabilise the political institutions. The decision that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are to make the visit was confirmed after a day of bitter rows at the Stormont Assembly.
During a debate at Stormont this afternoon leading Unionists, including the First Minister, David Trimble, questioned Sinn Féin's commitment to the peace process. Unionists believe there was IRA involvement in Colombia and the Castlereagh break-in.
But the two main Unionist parties, the DUP and the Ulster Unionists, could not agree on a common strategy to exert pressure on Sinn Féin. Tonight the Ulster Unionist leader, Mr Trimble, travelled to Dublin for talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Meanwhile in Belfast, Peter Weir, the Assembly Member thrown out of UUP after a row with Mr Trimble last year, confirmed that he has defected to the DUP.
