Jeremy Corbyn calls for new Northern Ireland talks on welfare reform budget

Jeremy Corbyn is a guest speaker at an event at the Féile an Phobail in Belfast

Labour Party leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn has urged the Prime Minister to enter new talks with the Northern Ireland parties over the welfare reform budget.

Mr Corbyn is a guest speaker at an event at the Féile an Phobail in Belfast.

He said he felt there was "quite a lot of common ground" among the NI parties.

"There has been some talks already but I think it has to go a lot further," he said.

"If we go down the road of imposing those welfare cuts and the cuts in living standards surely that has an effect on the political process, I think we need to have further discussions," Mr Corbyn added.

"I hope that the attempt at unification of all the Northern Ireland parties around this issue are going to be fruitful and the British government will talk again."

Northern Ireland's five main political parties signed the Stormont House Agreement last December. It was a wide-ranging deal that addressed some of Stormont's current financial difficulties, after a reduction in its block grant from Westminster.

Sinn Féin withdrew its support for the bill in March because of a row over the implementation of welfare reforms.

Last week, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness met representatives from the US State Department and influential Irish Americans, asking them to lobby the British government to give more financial support to Stormont.

His trip coincided with a diplomatic visit to the US by Northern Ireland Secretary of State Theresa Villiers, who has said a budget increase is not an option.

Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall are the other candidates in the Labour Party leadership contest.

Ballot papers will be sent out on 14 August, with the result to be announced at a special conference on 12 September.