BRITISH PRIME minister Gordon Brown is expected to visit Northern Ireland next week as the Assembly reconvenes after the summer break, ahead of a potentially crucial meeting of the Executive.
Downing Street is not commenting on the visit, citing security reasons. But it has been suggested that the visit is part of a UK-wide tour taking in the devolved administrations in Cardiff and Edinburgh.
No formal notification of a visit has been made, but it is understood the parties have been tipped off that Mr Brown will visit Belfast on Tuesday next, September 16th.
Speculation is growing at Stormont that he will use the occasion to try to focus minds on a solution to the ongoing impasse, mainly over devolution of policing and justice, which has stalled the Executive since June.
That speculation was fuelled by the inclusion of the Alliance Party in the series of meetings involving the prime minister.
Alliance has been mentioned as a possible candidate for any devolved justice ministry, although party leader David Ford has rejected this solution. Sinn Féin and the DUP have also said they will not supply a candidate.
Mr Ford has said his party's role in the current Assembly should be to provide opposition to the Executive which includes Sinn Féin, the DUP, the SDLP and the Ulster Unionists. "The Executive is failing in its duties," he said last month when the idea was floated that Alliance could fill any new role in a justice department.
"So Northern Ireland needs a strong and coherent opposition. We are providing that opposition and we will continue to do so."
Last night Mr Ford told The Irish Times: "While no one has made any formal approaches to us, it does appear that there is some progress being made by the executive parties in resolving their outstanding difficulties."
Delegations from the DUP and Sinn Féin met again yesterday amid signs that quiet progress is being made on issues that divide them, including justice devolution.
Mr Brown's visit also coincides with a potentially significant council byelection in Fermanagh, Peter Robinson's first electoral outing since assuming the DUP leadership from Dr Ian Paisley.