Direct rule in Northern Ireland is to end from midnight after nearly 25 years, when the formal devolution of power from Westminster to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Executive and the new institutions established under the terms of the Belfast Agreement is completed.
The momentum of historic political change will quicken later today when Queen Elizabeth is expected to sign the devolution order after a special meeting of the Privy Council, and the formal transfer of powers from Westminster to Belfast will follow a few hours later.
As devolution triggers the removal of Articles 2 and 3 from the Constitution and the formal establishment of the North-South and British-Irish institutions the first full meeting of the Northern Ireland Executive is expected to take place tomorrow, followed by the appointment of the IRA's interlocutor to liase with Gen. John de Chastelain's decommissioning body.
The confirmation of the appointment of the interlocutor in a statement by the IRA last night was welcomed by the Northern Ireland Office as "the start of the decommissioning process". However, the NIO did not refer to the IRA's concerns about the reconvening of the Ulster Unionist Council in February to review the UUP's participation in the Assembly.
The devolution process proper got under way in the House of Commons last night, when the Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, declared that sufficient progress had been made in implementing the agreement for him to set a date for the start of devolution.
Urging MPs to approve an order implementing the Northern Ireland Act, 1998, transferring executive authority in areas such as agriculture, education and finance from Westminster to Belfast, Mr Mandelson said Northern Ireland stood on the threshold of a "new stability, new prosperity and new hope." The Order implementing the Northern Ireland Act 1998 was passed by MPs last night by 318 to 10.
When devolution is complete, legislative and executive power will reside with the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Northern Ireland Secretary will, however, retain control over "reserved" matters including policing, parades, prisons and the criminal justice system.