Outraged nationalists today pulled out of a visit by shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Quentin Davies after he was accused of insulting their community.
SDLP MP Mr Seamus Mallon, the former deputy First Minister at the Stormont Assembly and senior party colleagues refused to meet him in South Armagh where they rejected claims he was the first senior Conservative Party member in 30 years to stand in Crossmaglen.
The village is in a hardline republican area which was once one of the most heavily patrolled in Northern Ireland.
Mr Davies's visit was signalled in advance by Conservative Central Office.
But by the time he arrived, the welcoming party due to receive him had decided to stay away.
They were furious a statement issued on his behalf said: "I have always believed that there should be no no-go areas for politicians in any part of the United Kingdom.
"It is a fundamental principle that in a democracy politicians should be both able and prepared to take their case to all the people, wherever they mightive.
"That is why I feel it is so important that I visit Crossmaglen. For years Crossmaglen has been thought of as a place to which politicians could not or should not go.
"As Northern Ireland moves into a new era, one that I firmly hope is built on exclusively peaceful and democratic politics, that should change. It ought to be as normal for a politician to be in Crossmaglen as it would be anywhere else."
Mr Mallon, MP for Newry and Armagh, and colleagues on the SDLP were having none of it.
Mr John Fee, also a member at the Northern Ireland Assembly, claimed his community had been insulted by the Tories and had also decided to boycott a visit to the neighbouring village of Bessbrook.
He said: "The idea that Mr Davies is reclaiming South Armagh is so deeply arrogant and insulting as to have made it impossible for us to continue with our involvement in the visit.
"Not only was it insulting to the people in this area but also to the MP, councillors and public representatives who were not consulted about the press statement."
Mr Fee claimed Mr Davies's statement had left a damaging and hurtful impression on people in the area.
Several senior politicians from the Republic and Britain had visited South Armagh over the years and had been treated with respect, civility and hospitality, including the former Tory chairman Mr Chris Patten.
He added: "Conservative Central Office has displayed a breathtaking arrogance, and indeed ignorance, of the people and of the issues facing this community."
Mr Davies later attempted distance himself from the statement after being told of the SDLP boycott.
In the village square he said: "Let me put it this way _ I did not see that particular statement before it went out.
"I did not authorise that particular statement and I did not know about that particular statement until this afternoon."
Mr Davies said the description of Crossmaglen in it as a "no-go area" for British politicians was one that had been put to him in interviews by journalists.
He said he believed there could be no "no-go areas" for politicians. "It was put to me last night that this was a no-go area and British politicians don't go to Crossmaglen," he said. "It's nonsense. There is no such thing as no-go areas, there never have been no-go areas to me."