Trimble in call to DUP

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today called on the DUP to take part in negotiations after the election to solve the remaining problems in the peace process.

Mr Trimble told a press conference in Belfast that the DUP had an opportunity to make a positive contribution to negotiations.

‘‘It’s up to them whether they are going to make themselves relevant because they haven’t been relevant up to now.’’

Turning to his party’s problems in North Down where potential candidate Leslie Cree pulled out as a potential election candidate after a blackmail attempt against him, Mr Trimble said that the former mayor of the borough had acted with great dignity.

‘‘There is no evidence to suggest that anybody connected with the UUP was involved in the highly regrettable attempt to blackmail Leslie,’’ he said.

Mr Cree made his decision to withdraw after he was sent a letter threatening to reveal that he had fathered a child and gave it up for adoption while an unmarried man 36-years-ago.

The Ulster Unionist leader appealed to Mr Cree to remain actively involved in politics and added that only a handful of people in the constituency would have known about the incident.

‘‘This sort of behaviour is quite despicable but one of the things about being involved in politics is that you get a clear view of the best and worst aspects of humanity.’’

Mr Trimble added that his threat to resign as First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive on July 1 unless the IRA has begun to decommission its illegal weaponry was a wake-up call to the two Governments and the other parties that the issue could no longer be fudged.

He added his decision had received a positive response from all sections of his party.

‘‘They were glad to see it happen because they were getting increasingly irritated and annoyed by the attitude of Republicans and their refusal to accept they have any obligation to society.’’