THE Portadown loyalist whose contacts with the UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, at Drumcree have created a political storm, yesterday gave his version of events.
Mr Billy Wright, in an interview with UTV, expressed his anger at how the BBC's Panorama programme on Monday night had represented the contacts.
The former UVF prisoner said. "Well, I'm absolutely disgusted with it. The thrust of the programme basically stated that I have an influence in the decisions of the Orange Institution.
"My relationship with David Trimble is that he did speak to me, and he spoke in his capacity as a local MP, and I as a constituent.
"I cannot speak on behalf of any paramilitary movement and it's not for me to do so. All I can say is that Mr Trimble asked me to use my influence, if I have any, to keep order and to ensure that no violence would take place.
"And I commend Mr Trimble for asking that no violence should take place at a very volatile time. And I'm disgusted that so called leaders of other parties would castigate a man for trying to keep the peace.
Mr Trimble, in a further account of the circumstances of his meeting with Mr Wright, said that Drumcree was in his own constituency and he was there with the Portadown Orangemen.
Mr Wright was a prominent loyalist in the area and had come to Drumcree, "and I couldn't very well avoid bumping into him when I was there".
"What I did say to him was that we wanted no violence at Drumcree, and I got assurances from him that he would do what he could to ensure that there was no violence.
"And of course I discussed the need for the loyalist ceasefire, both there and generally, to be maintained, and while that ceasefire was dented last week it has not been broken and I very much hope that it will not be broken.
Mr Trimble again asserted that there were "some quite significant distinctions" between talking to Mr Wright and to Sinn Fein leaders.
He said that "in the very unusual and, I hope, exceptional circumstances last week I felt that what I said to him would have had, might have had, and I think did have, some effect in preserving peace in that area, and I think that's important."
Mr Trimble also said that the organisation with which Mr Wright was alleged to be associated was "on a ceasefire" and its political representatives were taking part in the inter party talks, where all the other parties were quite happy to talk to them. "Whereas, with regard to representatives of Sinn Fein/IRA, they're not on a ceasefire".
Asked why he had not taken the opportunity of the IRA ceasefire to talk to Mr Brendan Mac Cionnaith of the Garvaghy Road Residents Association in the six months between July 12th last year and February 9th this year, Mr Trimble replied. "Well, at that time the approach that we adopted in regard to Sinn Fein/IRA was that until we were satisfied that they were committed to that ceasefire in permanent terms, and had demonstrated a commitment, we were not prepared to engage in talks with them.
Mr Trimble did not respond directly when asked whether he would talk to Mr Gerry Adams if doing so could prevent lives being lost.
He said he had suggested to the Northern Secretary that the British Prime Minister, Mr Major should consider calling in the leaders of the four principal parties to a meeting chaired by Mr Major himself "in which we will see whether there is a means of carrying this process forward in a realistic way."