The government will this week invite Northern Irish parties to attend a meeting to review the Good Friday agreement.

Ministers are hoping the DUP, Ulster's single largest party following elections last week, will back down from its call for a complete renegotiation of the deal.

Northern Ireland secretary Paul Murphy will meet the party's leadership today, to try and tempt them with the prospect of power and ministerial seats in a devolved administration.

Meanwhile David Trimble, who has seen his Ulster Unionist Party overtaken by the DUP, is facing calls to quit as leader.