The DUP now claims to have "pulled the teeth" of Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain's proposed all-party "restoration of devolution" committee of the Stormont Assembly.
Following perceived "conflicting signals" from deputy leader Peter Robinson, party leader the Rev Ian Paisley appeared to assert his authority yesterday with a clear warning that the DUP would not participate in any Assembly committee intended to "negotiate" the restoration of devolved government.
During Northern Ireland questions in the Commons Dr Paisley sought "categorical assurance" from Mr Hain "that no committee will be set up" to conduct the negotiations, which he said he had been assured would be between the (British) government and the political parties.
That intervention appeared to leave open the possibility of DUP membership of a so-called "restoration committee" tasked to identify "issues" or obstacles to the successful negotiation of a devolution deal.
However, Dr Paisley was insistent "there cannot be another set of negotiations running alongside" those he intended to continue directly with British prime minister Tony Blair - who is scheduled to join Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in talks with the Assembly parties next month.
Reflecting his distrust of British ministers, and the purpose behind the proposed committee, Dr Paisley told MPs: "He [ Mr Hain] knows the attitude of the DUP, we would not take part in any such committee."
Mr Hain in turn appeared to row back from optimistic suggestions that the proposed committee might be the means of opening a direct engagement between the DUP and Sinn Féin. The Secretary of State told Dr Paisley: "I'm not intending to give it [the committee] any power to negotiate, nor could I, nor could I force that upon anybody." However, he added: "I do think it would be helpful if there were a forum in which issues could be identified by all the parties. The negotiations will obviously take place with the [British and Irish] governments, but I think there is advantage for everybody to see what's on the table before those negotiations take place."
Moving to dispel the impression of division or tension over the issue in the "collective" leadership of their party, DUP "modernisers" told The Irish Times they were happy with this outcome, having successfully "pulled the teeth" of the proposed committee, which would now have what was described as "only a scoping role". Noting Mr Hain's rejection of the committee model favoured by the Ulster Unionists, one DUP MP said: "The real show was always going to be [the parties] with the governments. The idea that a negotiation would take place in this committee was a nonsense."
In a separate development at Westminster yesterday, Conservative Northern Ireland spokesman David Lidington sought an assurance that British ministers will put their proposals for the operation of community- based restorative justice schemes on a statutory basis.
Newly-appointed minister Paul Goggins told Mr Lidington proposals would be "under-pinned by the rule of law".