Call on dissident negotiations issue

Owen Patterson has refused to confirm or deny whether or not British representatives have engaged with dissident republicans. The Secretary of State was speaking in the wake of claims by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness that discussions between both sides had taken place.

East Londonderry’s MP, however said: “We will be meeting with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to try and flush this out once and for all.

“This is not to difficult to understand, either talks have taken place or they haven’t. They have either taken place with the approval or the knowledge of the British government, with or without a third party, there are yes and no answers to all of these questions.

“It would be much better if he spelt this out clearly.”

The Secretary of State has said that the government never discussed “operational matters”, but said it could not have “meaningful talks” with the groups.

“Our position is completely clear and consistent with previous governments, you cannot have meaningful talks, serious discussions, real negotiations whatever you want to call them with people who are not absolutely committed to peaceful means of pursuing their goals.”

Dissidents have in recent weeks seriously escalated attacks on the security forces culminating in booby-trap devices being placed under cars belonging to security force personnel and detonating a 200lb car bomb outside Strand Road police station on August 3.