UUP/DUP meeting still at 'will they, won't they' stage

DUP deputy leader, Peter Robinson, has reissued his party’s invitation to the UUP to hold a bi-lateral meeting.

The east Belfast MP's offer came after what Mr Robinson called a "change of heart" from the UUP following recent press reports.

He said: "As we enter an intensive period of talks in September, it clearly would be good for unionism that the Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party should maximise their strength in order to maximise the gains for unionism as a whole.

"It is important for unionism that the DUP, as unionism's largest party, is fully appraised of the finer details of past negotiating processes so that our negotiating position in this upcoming round of talks is made as strong as possible."

However, responding to the speculation that the two parties would meet ahead of next month's peace negotiations chaired by the two governments, a spokesperson for the UUP said their party leader had suggested in May that he and Ian Paisley should meet "without any preconditions and with an open agenda at the earliest opportunity".

"The DUP rejected this invitation insisting that full delegations should meet," the spokesperson said.

"Mr Trimble has again re-issued the invitation for himself and Dr Paisley to have a meeting, without pre-conditions and with an open agenda, to assess if any basis for co-operation exists."

"Meetings of full delegations would only make sense following a meeting of the two leaders," he added.

It is unlikley that such a meeting will occur as Mr Paisley is currently recovering from a recent spell in hospital where, according to his family, he underwent a "series of routine tests".

Speculation continues to surround the DUP leader regarding his health following his recent decision to stand down as MEP following 20 years of service in Europe.

(MB)