SDLP leader Mark Durkan continued his onslaught on DUP and Ulster Unionist Party political leaders at the weekend, saying the loyalist "paramilitary tail" appeared to be almost "wagging the unionist political dog".
After the serious rioting and violence last week Northern Ireland was relatively peaceful during the weekend, despite some protests and minor disturbances.
The main trouble involved nationalists, who for two consecutive nights attacked the PSNI in Antrim on Friday night and Saturday night.
There is concern, however, that loyalists will persist with their street protests, which caused major morning and evening rush-hour traffic disruption in Belfast and in other towns in the North last week.
Northern Secretary Peter Hain will deliver a speech in Belfast on Wednesday in which he will try to address loyalist and unionist concerns about the peace process, particularly their claim that it is a one-sided process in favour of nationalists.
He is expected to focus on the need for a "common agenda" to improve the situation for everyone in Northern Ireland, while also focusing on the alienation and disaffection felt in loyalist areas.
He is unlikely, however, to heed calls from the Orange Order and unionist politicians for the disbanding of the Parades Commission. Orange Order leaders blamed the commission and the PSNI for triggering last week's trouble and insisted its members bore no responsibility for the violence, despite police footage of Orangemen involved in the disturbances.
Mr Hain, with Lagan Valley DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson, will today try to experience at first hand what the issues are that cause loyalists most concern, when he visits loyalist estates in the Lisburn area.
Mr Durkan, however, hit out again at the weekend at unionist leaders for a failure of leadership. He said they were guilty of "almost soliciting" the loyalist violence that flared after Saturday week's rerouted Orange Order Whiterock parade.
It appeared the loyalist "paramilitary tail" was almost "wagging the unionist political dog".
Of unionist leaders, he added: "Effectively, the signal they sent to people was 'do your worst and we won't blame you, do your worst and we will blame the police. Do your worst and we will blame the Parades Commission and we will blame the Secretary of State.' Of course, that is exactly what they have done since."
Mr Durkan told BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politics programme that the leaders of the DUP and UUP had allowed the loyalist paramilitaries to take the lead on policing and parades.
"It seems as though the whip hand in unionist politics actually lies with the paramilitaries, who showed their real nature last weekend," he said.
Two Church of Ireland bishops have issued a statement rejecting violence as a legitimate method of expressing grievances, while offering to help communities caught up in the loyalist violence.
Bishop Alan Harper of Connor and Bishop Harold Millar of Down and Dromore said they hoped to meet people in the areas affected, so that they might "understand the issues behind the violence".
It also emerged that a 14-year-old Catholic schoolboy allegedly joined loyalist rioters to hurl stones at the PSNI and British army in Lisburn last week.
