Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Féin's Orlaithí Flynn are among a host of Northern Irish celebrities who have recorded a charity version of All I Want for Christmas is You by pop diva Mariah Carey.

Yesterday (4 December) Foster scuppered Brexit talks between the UK and the EU that would have kick-started trade discussions, when she insisted she would not accept a deal that saw the province treated differently from the rest of Britain.

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But last month the hardline leader of the loyalist community in Northern Ireland took time out to sing in a video in aid of Aspire NI – an organisation that works with children from disadvantaged families.

The video for the festive classic is presented by David Blevins of Sky News and stars other personalities from the region such as Britain's Got Talent finalist Jordan O'Keefe and model Sophia Mitchell, all decked out in seasonal jumpers.

Blevins told the Belfast Telegraph: "I did my best to get the DUP and Sinn Fein involved in it because we need to take the politics out of the education of our children, and I admire Arlene and Orlaithi for doing this."

He added: "I have a real passion for equality in education; every child needs to be given an equal opportunity, so what Aspire NI is doing is really important."

The video comes at a time of stalemate in Northern Ireland after power sharing in the province collapsed in January, with little sign of regional government being reinstated in the near future.

Aspire NI founder Mark Knox said: "It's one of very few events this year that both of our main political parties have taken part in, but the issue is an important one - and seeing opposing politicians together offers a glimpse of hope at Christmas."

The video of the 1994 Christmas classic was shot at Redeemer Central Church in Belfast in a single day in November, with stars turning up to perform at different times.

The footage is released today (5 December) but the charity cannot formally release the song as a single due to copyright restrictions. However, it hopes the video will encourage donations to the charity.

The video can also be seen at Aspire NI Facebook page (www.facebook.com/aspireNI) and on www.aspireni.org where the All I Want For Christmas Is You Christmas jumpers worn by all of the stars in the video are available to buy to raise funds for Aspire NI.

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