Gerry Adams doesn't believe Conservative Party invested in Good Friday Agreement

Gerry Adams says he doesn't believe the Conservative Party is invested in the Good Friday Agreement and is tearing up aspects of it.

The former Sinn Féin President was speaking in a pre-recorded interview for Peston, which airs on ITV1 at 10:50pm on Wednesday.

Asked if they understand Northern Ireland, he said: "Only in their own small 'little Englander' way. Not as one would expect being part of a government to be obliged to be part of an agreement. You know they’re currently… Getting rid of procedures, which were agreed by all the parties and the British government to deal with legacy issues. But they’ve torn that up.

“They’re tearing up the human rights aspects of it. And they have been digging down and betraying, to use a unionist word, the unionist parties, like over the last eight or nine years over the last three or four British Prime Ministers.

“They’ve all made promises, made commitments, done deals with the DUP and then torn them up."

Mr Adams also said he felt the Labour Party hadn't treated his friend Jeremy Corbyn properly: "Jeremy has been an outstanding friend of Ireland.

“But also of working people, of the people who are in difficulties and people throughout the world that have been in difficulties and he delivered his stance on all of these issues going back a long time. He's been a pioneer of good politics and no party can afford to lose someone like that."

Asked whether he had any sympathy for DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson’s refusal to rejoin power-sharing at Stormont, Mr Adams said: "I have an understanding more than sympathy because I simply believe that leaders ought to lead.

“And I'm hopeful that Jeffrey, when he has the space to do, so will lead people in a positive way forward… If you’re going to be a leader, you have to be a leader. You have to go forward, you have to take people with you. But you need to know yourself what you want to do.

“I think Jeffrey knows what he has to do."

Mr Adams also said the British government will have no option but to facilitate a referendum on Irish reunification if the government in Dublin takes the lead on the issue: "The British government doesn't want a referendum, I’m certain of that, not just in Scotland, but here as well.

“I have a popular opinion in Ireland and I believe within the Irish diaspora. If the Irish government takes a leadership position the British government will have no other alternative but to keep to the agreement, which includes the right to a referendum."

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