Disarmament first, insists hardline unionist

The IRA must begin destroying its weapons before there can be any further reforms on policing or moves to demolish army watchtowers, a hardline unionist insisted tonight.

In an uncompromising message to the two governments, Jeffrey Donaldson, a key member of the Ulster Unionist negotiating team, said his party was not in the business of trading off concessions in return for disarmament.