Problems in Northern Ireland would be "best fixed by people in Northern Ireland", Sir Tony Blair has said as he stressed the importance of restoring powersharing at Stormont. 

Asked what he would do to try and restore devolution, the former prime minister told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "Just work at it with the parties and I think particularly with unionism, the most important thing, and the most important argument for unionists is that stability in Northern Ireland is the best argument for the union and it is difficult because you can make a peace agreement and that can, as it were, formally end the hostilities, but it takes a long time for those deep emotional feelings of distrust and mistrust to abate and to decline. 

"The reason why it is so important, I think to try and get the executive back up and running is that these problems… the pockets of real social and economic deprivation in Northern Ireland, there are things in the public services that need to be fixed, they are best fixed by people in Northern Ireland. 

"That was the whole purpose of devolution."

Sir Tony Blair has warned against putting "futile pressure" on the DUP to restore powersharing at Stormont as Joe Biden prepares to fly into Belfast this evening to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. 

It was suggested to Sir Tony that the involvement of an Irish-American US President in attempts to restore powersharing could actually be counter-productive in discussions with the DUP. 

The former prime minister said he believed Mr Biden's involvement could be "positive" but warned against putting "futile pressure" on unionist politicians. 

He said: "I found that President Clinton was also pretty helpful on the unionist side as well and the American president is still the American president. 

"So, I think deployed in the right way it is still helpful. Remember, there is a lot of American investment that wants to come to Northern Ireland and that is also important from the economic perspective. 

"I think if we do it in the right way, the involvement of the American President is positive. By the right way I mean, as I say, at the right moment and in the right place because if people feel they are being, and unionism especially, one thing I learnt about the unionists is if you try and pressurise them to do something that they are fundamentally in disagreement with, it is usually futile pressure, even if it comes from the US so you have just got to use that influence carefully."

Sir Tony Blair said Joe Biden's visit to Northern Ireland is "significant" and the US President can play a "real role" in helping to restore powersharing arrangements at Stormont. 

The former prime minister said there is a "difference between influencing and pressurising" as Mr Biden prepares to fly into Belfast this evening where he will hold talks with political leaders (you can read the full story on the visit here).  

Asked about Mr Biden's visit, Sir Tony told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Well, it is significant. You have got to use the American influence on the process with care and with sensitivity. 

"But I obviously had a very close relationship with President Clinton outside of the peace process but I found him immensely helpful. He would immediately understand strategically what was important and what wasn’t and the Americans can play an important part in this but you have got to insert them at the right moment and in the right place. 

"I don’t know what the up to date situation is with President Biden and our Prime Minister now but for me at that time, and actually also afterwards with President Bush who came to Northern Ireland… the Americans can play a real role but it’s something that you need to do carefully because there is a difference between influencing and pressurising and the one tends to be positive, the other can be negative."