David Cameron will join his Irish counterpart, Enda Kenny, in Belfast on Thursday morning to lend their support to all-party talks aimed at solving toxic issues hanging over from the Northern Ireland peace process.
The prime minister and the taoiseach are expected to meet the parties at Stormont in a bid to push forward negotiations on issues such as disputed marches, the flying of flags and the legacy of the Troubles.
So far the nationalist and unionist parties have failed to find consensus on these controversies some of which have led to social and political destabilisation in the region.
Loyalist anger over a banned Orange Order march in north Belfast has led to violent street clashes as has unionist opposition to Belfast city council’s decision to limit the number of days the Union Jack is flown at City Hall.
Supporting the two premiers’ intervention in the talks, Labour’s shadow secretary of state, Ivan Lewis, said the best Christmas present the people of Northern Ireland could receive was for the parties to come to an agreement.
Labour’s Northern Ireland spokesman said: “We have long urged David Cameron and the government to take a far more proactive approach to supporting Northern Ireland’s parties in resolving contentious issues which continue to limit Northern Ireland’s capacity to build a shared future.
“Therefore his participation alongside the taoiseach in the ongoing inter-party talks is to be welcomed. We hope this will be a catalyst for the parties to reach a meaningful agreement on the budget, including welfare reform, and all legacy issues.
“Another failure to reach agreement will not only risk the stability of Northern Ireland’s political institutions, it will further damage public confidence in Northern Ireland’s political leadership.”
One of the key prizes for parties at the talks ranging from Sinn Fein to the Democratic Unionist party is that the UK treasury will allow the power sharing devolved government in Belfast to set its own corporation tax rate. The Northern Ireland parties have demanded that the region should be able to set the same low rate as the Irish Republic in order to attract foreign direct investment.
