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Sinn Fein is an Irish Republican party. We stood in the Assembly election to deliver a prosperous economy and jobs, to protect and enhance public services, support those most in need, and to progress Irish Unity.

Sinn Fein is the only political party on this island working to end that fracture in their nation and to achieving the Republic set out in the proclamation.

The most important thing to say is that Sinn Fein isn't going back to anything. We are a party on the move.

Sinn Fein has the potential and capacity to become the vehicle for the attainment of republican objectives.

Sinn Fein is the fastest growing party on the island of Ireland.

The sheer scale of what the Tories are attempting to do is staggering. But Sinn Fein will not agree to this ideologically driven austerity agenda.

Sinn Fein has demonstrated the ability to play a leadership role as part of a popular movement towards peace, equality and justice.

That Sinn Fein, as I've already indicated, their leaders have already indicated that's what they want to achieve - once we get that credible statement, then we can get around the table and start to move forward, and I'm confident we can do so.

Quite simply, I maintained contact with Sinn Fein and believed that there had to be a political, not a military, solution to the situation in Northern Ireland.

But I also hold the very strong view that republicans need to lead by example.