Speaking after a meeting with An Taoiseach yesterday the North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said that a date for the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Stormont Executive must be set before Christmas, with the transfer of powers to follow early in the New Year. McGuinness also claimed that Brian Cowen's backing for Sinn Féin's position that the imposition of preconditions for the devolution of these powers was unacceptable. Cowen will meet Gordon Brown in London tomorrow to discuss the Stormont impasse.

Meanwhile at a commemoration in Dunloy, County Antrim, Sinn Féin national chairperson Declan Kearney accused the DUP of pursuing a train-wreck strategy and said that all the evidence showed that the unionist party had no intention of allowing the transfer of policing and justice powers to the Executive. Responding to the latest pronouncements from Sinn Féin North Down DUP MLA Peter Weir reiterated that his party would not be bullied by what he termed sabre-rattling.

My money's on a spring election.

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Where or what is the 'ultimatum'?

"I have to say if it slips past Christmas we are in deep trouble."

McGuinness made this statement on 11 November. Taken together with his latest pronouncement it amounts to a form of ultimatum.

Declan Kearney wrote of 'complete freefall' at the start of the month.

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This is a time where SF are spot on the money and they should make the most of it.
They have the backing of everyone and they need to get even tougher with the DUP, they have nothing to lose.
They should file a no confidence motion and push for an election.
However they must not threaten the assembly of do anything which could impact anyone on the street.

The DUP are backed into a corner and are being exposed as the damaging backward party they are.
If they refuse to move forward then we need an election which should finish them off.

I doubt many people, even a lot of Unionists can be bothered with their daft nonsense any more.

The DUP haven't a clue what to do in that assembly they shouldn't be there.

i dont think anything will happen by xmas ,the dup wont back down this is being done because the dup are under threat from tuv they are trying to please iits own members by showing a hard stance.as for cowan supporting sf ......maybe a bit of self purpose here when u consider that ff are makin a push into the north

Robinson's face saver for P & J is abolition of the Parades Commission. As was evident at Rasharkin in August and again this week at Ardoyne the Parades Commission is well, a bit of a law until itself (subject to NIO influence I would say). If Brown came to Sinn Féin with favourable terms for its replacement (based on Ashdown's proposals) would they bite?

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Good article on Slugger that gives an alternate argument

Slugger O'Toole

I am still trying to find out what or where the 'ultimatum' is. Stephen Nolan tried to find out from from J O Dowd this morning but got no answer either. Toothless warnings?

british pm gordon brown has ruled out imposing a deadline on the discussions relating too the devolution of policing............where does this leave sf and their deadline

Well JD if it's pedantry you want you ve come to the right thread

ultimatum
1. A final statement of terms made by one party to another.
2. A statement, especially in diplomatic negotiations, that expresses or implies the threat of serious penalties if the terms are not accepted.

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