The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, is to attend the British Labour Party conference and address a fringe meeting organised by the Tribune Group. Mr Ken Livingstone, Foreign Secretary Mr Robin Cook and Sports Minister Mr Tony Banks are expected to attend. A Sinn Fein-organised meeting is also due to take place on the periphery of the conference on Wednesday.
"Sinn Fein's objective in its dialogue with the British Labour Party is to persuade the Labour government to change British government policy to one of ending the union and pursuing the goal of a united Ireland," said a party spokesman.
A Labour party spokesman said: "We have not received an application for a pass for Gerry Adams. If we did we would treat him as any other Northern Ireland politician signed up to the peace process."