Ian Paisley will today end a lifetime’s hostility to Sinn Fein when he is expected to hold his first face-to-face meeting with Gerry Adams in return for an agreement to a final delay in restoring a power-sharing devolved government for Northern Ireland.

The Government will rush through emergency legislation to facilitate the plan, which was partly brokered through the intervention of John Reid, a former Northern Ireland Secretary and Tony Blair’s chief political fixer. The deal came after Mr Paisley’s Democratic Unionists gave a firm commitment to sharing power with Sinn Fein by the end of May. In return they will be able to argue to their grassroots that they rejected the Government’s deadline of today to “devolve or dissolve” the Stormont Assembly.

Peter Hain, the Northern Ireland Secretary, continued to insist that that was the position, but added that any further suspension would have to emerge from agreement between the province’s parties rather than imposition from Westminster.

The DUP has been angered by Mr Hain’s negotiating tactics, arguing that Sinn Fein delayed political progress for years over the weapons of the Provisional IRA, its military wing. Today’s deadline had everything to do with Mr Blair’s legacy, sources said.

Mr Reid became involved in tough negotiations in the past fortnight, suggesting that the specific date for the commencement of a power-sharing executive was immaterial so long as it happened before Mr Blair stepped down. “Reid has been helpful in understanding the DUP’s position from the Government’s point of view,” a senior source said, in a pointed criticism of Mr Hain.

On Saturday the DUP ruling executive passed a resolution offering a definite May date for going into government with Sinn Fein in return for a six-week delay. The gap could be bridged with preparatory work, “including departmental prebriefings and finalising a programme for government”.

The extra time was needed “to raise the level of confidence in the community and instil a positive attitude towards devolution and local control”.

Mr Paisley spent yesterday leading services at his Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian Church in east Belfast.

Many Free Presbyterians — a denomination that he established in 1951 — are alarmed that he is preparing to go into government with Sinn Fein. Mr Paisley assured worshippers: “Ian Paisley has a God who should not be underestimated.”

One congregant said on leaving: “I’m totally confident in Dr Paisley’s leadership because he has the vision and the Bible says that without vision the people will perish. These people will not be perishing because God has sent them a man to give them vision.”

Jeffrey Donaldson, a Democratic Unionist MP, said there was now a clear commitment to enter into power-sharing.

“We will continue to work over the next few weeks to ensure the conditions are met and to achieve that, including work on the financial package put forward by Gordon Brown, which other parties and business leaders have said is not adequate.

“It also allows time to resolve other outstanding issues like completing a programme for government and a further testing period to establish whether Sinn Fein support for the police is genuine.”

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