MR TONY Blair gave Dr Mo Mowlam his full backing last night, as the British government ordered an inquiry into what authoritative sources called a highly malicious leak" about the Northern Secretary's approach to the negotiations surrounding the disputed Drumcree parade.
Apart from the belief that the leak was intended to undermine Dr Mowlam's personal position, ministers and officials were alarmed by the implications for the future confidentiality of the conduct of its Northern Ireland business.
The leak also sealed the first serious challenge to the new Labour government, with Dr Mowlam forced on to the defensive as politicians and commentators assessed the damage to her credibility with Northern nationalists resulting from the decision to force through the Orange parade against residents' objections.
Backing Dr Mowlam's claim that the leaked June 20th document was never endorsed by her, the sources last night told The Irish Times that a subsequent paper, drafted by the same official, listed five options which specifically included the possibility of a total ban of the Orange parade.
It was made clear that the RUC Chief Constable, Mr Ronnie Flanagan, would have had Dr Mowlam's support for a ban, had that been his final decision. At one point during their consultations on Saturday Mr Flanagan is understood to have asked the Secretary of State if she was prepared to "entertain certain options" to which her reply was "Yes". The sources said it was "absolutely clear" the Secretary of State was prepared to support a ban.
Reports of serious disagreement between Dr Mowlam and Mr Flanagan were strenuously dismissed. At the same time it was acknowledged that "there may have been differences of emphasis as they weighed the various options before them. The implication was that Dr Mowlam was the more inclined of the two to consider a ban, while the sources said an extreme interpretation either way would be unfair to both of them".
Earlier, sources close to Dr Mowlam had insisted the Chief Constable's final decision, taken on grounds of public safety, was not reached until shortly after midnight on Saturday. They maintained the final decision until a late stage "could have gone either way".
As Dr Mowlam faced a barrage of nationalist criticism, it was being pointed out that she travelled - as reported in Monday's Irish Times - to Brownlow House, Lurgan, at 11 p.m. on Friday night to appeal directly to the Portadown Orange District to adopt the so-called McCartney plan" and waive their "right" to march.
Dr Mowlam's appeal was rejected. But Orange Order sources last night confirmed that attempts by the Chief Constable to secure their agreement to various modifications in the planned parade continued until around 11.15 p.m. on Saturday night.
The leaked June 20th paper was being described last night as "one among a pile of others". It was confirmed that Dr Mowlam saw the paper, which represented a consensus" view that, in the absence of a local agreement, a controlled parade along Garvaghy Road represented "the least worst option".
Asked if the Secretary of State had returned the paper seeking amendment, sources said "the problem was the speed at which they were working" and suggested it would quickly have become "irrelevant" as the Secretary of State advanced towards her "proximity talks".
Speaking in Madrid, the British Prime Minister said: "I have absolutely no doubt that everybody in Northern Ireland and in Britain is appalled at the violence that has broken out and wants to see this process moved forward - and we are going to move it forward, I can tell you that." But he continued: "I have absolutely no doubt that Mo Mowlam took the right decision."