Irish Republican Party, Sinn Fein, withdrew from talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol that were set to take place today and be attended by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Belfast, the party's spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The British government's move to "exclude" the Sinn Fein's party leader, Mary Lou McDonald (pictured), from the meeting was "an extraordinary turn of events," which led to the party's decision to not attend today's talks. "There is no room for bad faith and petulance from the British government," the spokesperson said.
"We look forward to engaging with the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the British Labour leader Keir Starmer tomorrow," the party said in a statement. Additionally, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) will not attend the negotiations until McDonald is permitted to participate, as parties were supposed to meet in order to find a solution to the stalemate at Stormont that has lingered since last February.
