DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley made a direct "plea" to Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams across the Northern Assembly chamber yesterday to make a move on policing to facilitate political progress.
Dr Paisley is today leading a delegation in talks with British prime minister Tony Blair at Downing Street which includes two members - party chairman Lord (Maurice) Morrow and North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds - who last Friday week appeared to question his leadership. Also on the delegation is deputy DUP leader Peter Robinson.
In the Assembly yesterday ahead of this meeting, Dr Paisley engaged in a number of direct exchanges with Mr Adams: once when discussing Presbyterian involvement in the United Irishmen rebellion of 1798, and a second time when Mr Adams challenged Dr Paisley's use of the term "IRA/Sinn Féin". "Well, perhaps it's a good omen that they are ashamed of being called IRA men. I hope that will continue," said Dr Paisley.
At the very end of his speech Dr Paisley made a direct appeal to Mr Adams to initiate Sinn Féin endorsement of the PSNI and the rule of law. "I would make a plea to the leader of the party opposite. We are all waiting to hear him say that he is going to support the police and that he is going to abide by the conditions laid down in the [ St Andrews] agreement. The sooner we hear that the better for us all."
While the tenor of this engagement was generally calm and restrained, Lord Morrow later in the Assembly debate repeated the party insistence that the DUP would not provide Sinn Féin with a date for the devolution of policing and justice to the Northern Executive - a requirement Mr Adams says is necessary in order to call a Sinn Féin ardfheis on policing.
"Why do Sinn Féin not support the police today?" said Lord Morrow. "Why did they not support them last week? Why are they not supporting them next week? I will tell you why. They have been promised more," added the Fermanagh-South Tyrone Assembly member. "Let the message go to the secretary of state [ Peter Hain], the prime minister and anybody else listening that the more you concede to these people, the more resolute unionism will become because pushover unionism has gone," he said.
Lord Morrow said Sinn Féin should not "think that some bland statement of support for policing is enough to fast-track you into government. The answer here now is, forget it."
Some DUP politicians, including Ian Paisley jnr, have indicated that the party is not tied to the March 26th, St Andrews Agreement deadline for the restoration of full devolution, arguing Sinn Féin's failure to move on policing could push back the March deadline.
Mr Blair's spokesman however said yesterday: "The timetable has been set and it will not shift." Mr Adams said outside the Assembly chamber yesterday that some progress was made in his talks with Mr Blair last week. One senior source said this was a reference to progress being made on limiting the future role of MI5 in Northern Ireland.
While Dr Paisley has insisted he has not accepted the position of first minister designate, the Northern Ireland Office yesterday announced extra supports for the DUP and Sinn Féin. Both parties are to be given three special advisers each at a salary of £45,000 each plus additional office accommodation and administrative support, while the SDLP and Ulster Unionist Party will be allowed one adviser each.
Meanwhile, the police Oversight Commissioner Al Hutchinson, in his latest report, said that more than a quarter of the 175 Patten policing proposals were still to be completed. These included devolution of policing and justice, building a new training college, greater "civilianisation", enlarging the part-time reserve, and efforts to encourage Catholic officers in other forces to join the PSNI.
