British prime minister Tony Blair has postponed plans to travel to Belfast to deliver a major speech intended to force the pace in negotiations about the restoration of a powersharing government in Northern Ireland, write Frank Millar, London Editor, and Stephen Collins.
Downing Street confirmed Mr Blair would not be travelling to the North next week as expected following a round of meetings yesterday with the DUP, SDLP and Ulster Unionists.
Ahead of their meeting in Mr Blair's Commons office, DUP MPs made no secret of their view that Mr Blair should not make the journey, while party leader the Rev Ian Paisley suggested there was "no point" in continuing talks between British and Irish ministers and the parties set to resume at Hillsborough on Monday.
He said it was for Mr Blair to decide whether to "keep his promise" that Sinn Féin could not be in government until IRA terrorism and crime were at an end.
Irish Government sources said last night that the talks process would continue, even if Mr Blair was unable to go ahead with his speech. The Taoiseach is also due to deliver an important speech shortly, but the timing of both leaders' speeches is regarded as crucial. In the meantime the Irish Government is anxious to press ahead with the scheduled talks with the Northern parties next week. Dr Paisley denounced new British legislation to be presented to parliament today designed to speedily "enable" any new agreement on the resumption of powersharing. Acknowledged by officials to be "aspirational", the new Northern Ireland bill is expected to make provision for the eventual devolution of policing and justice powers to Stormont.
Dr Paisley described the proposed new legislation as "a Sinn Féin stained document", which he claimed was "an attempt to railroad unionists into something they could not be railroaded into". Dr Paisley's deputy, Peter Robinson, confirmed "there is no comprehensive agreement" and that the party would be holding to the principle that "nothing is agreed until everything is agreed". Despite the tough DUP rhetoric, however, the prime minister's official spokesman insisted there was no crisis in the process and emphasised Mr Blair's plans had been postponed rather than cancelled.
The spokesman said Mr Blair had been unable to meet Sinn Féin this week and would reflect on the discussions he had had with the other parties. However, he stressed that Mr Blair "has a clear idea of how to proceed" and said the prime minister's thinking on the available options was "hardening-up".
There was speculation in DUP circles last night that Mr Blair might be preparing to put specific options to the parties in an attempt to restore the Stormont Assembly. One senior Whitehall source also indicated that Mr Blair "might have to call it" given the continuing absence of agreement.