British Prime Minister Tony Blair was tonight accused of contributing to the downfall of the Belfast Agreement.
As the British and Irish Governments prepared for a summit on the Agreement in Dublin tomorrow, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson attacked the Prime Minister for failing to keep his promises.
The Ulster Unionist vice-president told colleagues in West Tyrone he no longer had "any confidence in either government ensuring unionist concerns on the Belfast Agreement.
"Time and again they have capitulated to the applied pressure from Sinn Féin/IRA, continually giving in to their demands," he said. "Tony Blair, by his unkept promises has been the author of the destruction of the Belfast Agreement."
Mr Nicholson's attack was interpreted as a further sign of the growing disillusionment in the unionist community about the deadlock in Northern Ireland's political process.
The Assembly has been suspended since October 2002.
Efforts to revive power sharing have tripped up twice in the past year over unionist concerns about the IRA's commitment to the peace process.
There is also increasing anxiety among nationalists about the review of the Belfast Agreement, which is due to start on February 3rd under the joint chairmanship of British and Irish ministers.
The SDLP today released its submission to the review but said it was concerned the British government might "indulge" the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists' desire to renegotiate the Agreement.
Party chairman Mr Alex Attwood said the SDLP had warned Irish Government officials today that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen must make it clear to the British government that they would not tolerate a slowing down of the Agreement.
"It is their responsibility to make sure that Downing Street does not slow down or pull up things," the West Belfast MLA said. "It is their responsibility to make sure that the message goes out loud and clear that the DUP is not going to be given space in order to further upset politics on this island."
Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson tonight accused the SDLP of being in denial. The East Belfast MP said: "The November Assembly election showed that the Belfast Agreement is dead, yet the SDLP appear unwilling to assist in its burial.
"Two-thirds of unionist voters want a new, fair deal not the old, failed Belfast Agreement given another go."
After a meeting with Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy, Sinn Féin's West Belfast MLA Ms Bairbre de Brun said they had demanded that the review must not be protracted. "The review needs to be short, sharp and focused and it must not become a substitute for working political institutions or for the governments fulfilling outstanding commitments."