The DUP is clearing the decks for an autumn election if the Executive deadlock means the Assembly gets dissolved, a member of the Executive said last night.

Culture Minister Gregory Campbell said his party has canvassed “thousands of homes” in case an election is called.

He accused Sinn Fein of using the deadlock — which has prevented the Executive from meeting since June — as a tactic because they believe the DUP is afraid of an election.

In spite of some agreement on the devolution of justice earlier this week, the Executive paralysis could be set to continue.

SF president Gerry Adams indicated yesterday that his party will keep pushing for the transfer of justice powers to Stormont from London.

But another DUP Minister, Arlene Foster, indicated that her party believes it is still too soon to devolve. “The central and crucial point in this debate is that the DUP will not agree to the devolution of Policing and Justice Powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly until such times as there is sufficient community confidence to allow it to occur,” she said.

Mr Campbell said “part of the problem” is that “successive governments have encouraged Sinn Fein to think that unreasonable demands by them will be met if the demands are repeated often enough”.

“It now appears that Sinn Fein think we in the DUP are not prepared to continue confronting this nonsense, they seem to think a snap Assembly Election is something we do not want,” he added.

“I and my colleagues are already in pre-election mode, having ‘canvassed' thousands of homes in our constituencies in recent weeks.

“This will prove invaluable if an election is brought about in the autumn. It is difficult to see what anyone thinks will change after any election but if that is what is required for Sinn Fein to see that the days of their demands being followed by delivery from others is over, then it will have been a price worth paying.”

Mr Adams said the DUP are refusing to “engage properly on important issues like education, the environment, the Irish language, and, of course, policing powers”.

He said SF would keep “our eye firmly fixed on our political goals as we continue to negotiate with the DUP and the two governments on all of these issues”.