Prime Minister Theresa May at a community centre during her visit to Belfast. Tuesday February 5, 2019. Clodagh Kilcoyne/PA Wire

British Prime Minister Theresa May held a series of meetings with Northern Ireland's political leaders as she strives for a breakthrough on the backstop impasse.

But Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald criticised Mrs May as coming to Belfast with "no plan, no credibility and no honour".

She said she had had a "very direct meeting" with Mrs May.

"We are now 51 days from the Brexit deadline and the British Prime Minister has come here empty handed with the same old rhetoric with no plan, no credibility and frankly no honour," she said.

"We have told her that the British strategy of running down the clock and playing a game of chicken with Ireland and Irish interests is profoundly unacceptable and wrong.

"We have told her that the days of Britain dictating to Ireland or Irish people, that those days are over and will not return.

"We have told her that the backstop is the bottom line, the bare minimum requirements to meet Irish interests, to protect the Good Friday Agreement, to prevent a hardening of the border, to in some way mitigate citizens' rights."

The Democratic Unionist Party were the final party to meet Mrs May at Stormont House.

Speaking afterwards, DUP leader Arlene Foster reiterated her position that the backstop is the "main problem".

She said her party has an "ongoing engagement" with the Government over Brexit.

Expand Close Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O'Neill (left) and leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking to the media as they arrive at Stormont for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle O'Neill (left) and leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking to the media as they arrive at Stormont for talks with Prime Minister Theresa May. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

"This was another useful opportunity to press for a deal which works for the entire United Kingdom. We want a deal which respects the Union and the referendum result," she said.

"Our message was very simple. The draft Withdrawal Agreement is flawed because the backstop would undermine the economic and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom."

The Ulster Unionist Party had met the British Prime Minister first, and leader Robin Swann said his party had a "very clear message" for the Prime Minister.

He said Mrs May will have to put direct rule government in place for Northern Ireland by March 30 if there is no extension of Article 50.

But after his meeting, Mr Swann claimed Mrs May appeared reluctant to talk about efforts to restore powersharing.

"The conversation we were having with the prime minister was initially about Brexit, we had to drag her to a place were we actually started to talk about how we get these institutions back up and running," he said.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long expressed her impatience at what she termed the lack of progress in the two years since the UK voted to leave the European Union.

She said she had a "very direct" meeting with the Prime Minister.

"It's very clear from our perspective that the time for reiterating red lines and regurgitating reassurances has long gone," she said.

Expand Close DUP Leader Arlene Foster leaves Stormont after holding talks with Prime Minister Theresa May on the second day of her visit to Belfast. Wednesday February 6, 2019. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp DUP Leader Arlene Foster leaves Stormont after holding talks with Prime Minister Theresa May on the second day of her visit to Belfast. Wednesday February 6, 2019. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

"What we need now, and the only lines we are interested in, are black and white on paper, an actual deal.

"That is the only thing that is actually going to reassure the public, it is the only thing that is going to reassure business and it is the only thing that is going to reassure those of us in politics who are concerned about what is going to happen next.

"This is not about political philosophy, this is about people who live in Donegal and work in Derry, this is about people who live in Newry and work in Dundalk. This is about people being able to do their jobs, it's about workforce planning in our health service, in our schools, it's about all of those things. It's not about philosophical debates in Parliament."

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, who was third in to see Mrs May, said she needed to understand there was no alternative to the backstop.

"Last week's vote - the Brady amendment - was a betrayal of everything that was said before that, of the people of Northern Ireland and of all the political progress that we have made," he said.

"It just doesn't add up. The last time Theresa May was here she was expounding the values of the backstop and now we are in a situation where apparently the alternatives to the backstop are being explored.

"We made it very clear that there are no alternatives to the backstop.

"The bottom line is this - for the people of Northern Ireland, for our peace process, for all of our political progress, we need to remain within the customs union and single market in order to avoid a hard border.

"I think that will begin to be understood at all levels in the British parliament because they don't have an alternative. They talk about vague alternatives but there aren't any alternatives."

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