DUP tactics version of Hokey Cokey says Gerry Adams

Gerry Adams called on the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) to make Northern Ireland a priority

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has described the DUP tactic of nominating and then resigning executive ministers as a version of the Hokey Cokey.

On Friday, DUP leader Peter Robinson said he would not allow ministries left vacant by his party's resignations to go to nationalists.

The DUP are expected to re-nominate their ministers within seven days and then resign them again.

The DUP health, enterprise and social development ministers quit on Thursday.

It comes amid a crisis at Stormont sparked by the murder of a former IRA man last month and the impasse over welfare reform.

The killing of Kevin McGuigan Sr caused a political row after Northern Ireland's police chief said members of the IRA had a role in the murder, and that the organisation still existed.

Speaking at a meeting of the party's national executive on Saturday, Mr Adams said Mr Robinson was "making a show of himself".

"We have tried to be very, very measured in how we deal with all of this, but I went back to Belfast last evening and everyone I met was just in exacerbation about where we're at," he said.

'Tactics'

"Now we're going to get a new version of the Hokey Cokey."

DUP MLA Simon Hamilton said his party would "deploy whatever tactics" they needed to ensure they got the "right outcome" from the talks process.

"We need to have the PIRA's [Provisional IRA] structures dealt with and we need the Stormont House Agreement to be fully implemented," he said.

"The fact that Gerry Adams is hitting out at our tactics will not only strengthen the resolve of most unionists but they will find his protesting mildly amusing."

Mr Adams also called on the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) to make Northern Ireland a priority.

He said Enda Kenny must persuade Prime Minister David Cameron that Northern Ireland has a different set of economic and social challenges from Britain.

Mr Adams also welcomed the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, describing him as a friend of Ireland.