THE Democratic Unionist Party’s Arlene Foster travelled to Downing Street this week to ask Prime Minister David Cameron to suspend Stormont in a bid to resolve the current political crisis.

Mrs. Foster, a Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLA and Northern Ireland’s finance minister, joined First Minister Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds, Deputy leader of the DUP, at the meeting on Tuesday.

Speaking from Downing Street afterwards, Mrs. Foster told The Impartial Reporter that the meeting with Mr. Cameron was “very frank.” “We explained to the prime minister that it was unacceptable that republicans whilst in government were linked to paramilitarism. In 2005 the PIRA were leaving the stage. Ten years later they should be gone never mind not being engaged in murder.

“We urged the Prime Minister to recognise that republicans are at fault for this situation and therefore republicans should be punished. We will not allow a business to go on as normal. There must be action and message sent that this will not be allowed to continue,” she said.

Mrs. Foster said her party has made proposals to the prime minister “as to how this matter could be resolved and we look forward to his response in due course.” Yesterday (Wednesday) Mrs. Foster warned that the DUP would “take action” next week if the UK government does not intervene.