Three Northern parties to meet Blair today
The leaders of three of the North's main political parties will be in London today for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The SDLP, the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein are all hoping to make progress in the growing deadlock over policing, arms and demilitarisation.
UUP leader David Trimble said last night that he hoped to hear from Mr Blair if the IRA had agreed to move on decommissioning and whether he had persuaded the SDLP to endorse the British Government's police reform plans.
The SDLP will also be anxious to learn if they have convinced Mr Blair that more radical reform of the RUC is needed to guarantee a publicly accountable service.
Sinn Fein will be seeking similar commitments, along with indications that the British army is preparing to pull out of the heavily militarised area of south Armagh.
