Police reform hopes recede

Hopes that Northern Ireland’s police reforms will be ready by the end of the month appeared to be receding tonight as rival unionists began to explore the possibility of agreeing a joint strategy to change them.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble will meet his Democratic Unionist counterpart, the Rev Ian Paisley this week, possibly as early as tomorrow, in talks on a plan to make the reforms more favourable to their community.

Mr Paisley’s DUP and several leading anti-Good Friday Agreement Ulster Unionists have been urging Mr Trimble to withhold his nominations to the 19-member Policing Board which will handle the reforms.

They believe a united stand will force the British Government to withdraw some of its concessions to nationalists in the revised policing plan.

Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson said: "From our perspective, our interest in talking to David Trimble is specifically on the policing issue.

"Both parties have concerns about the implementation plan and I think at the very least we should be getting together to draw up an agreed list of various areas where we need changes, so when we negotiate with the (British) Government we are at least singing from the same hymn sheet."

While senior Ulster Unionist figures would not comment, a party spokesman confirmed Mr Trimble told his 120-member executive yesterday both leaders had been in contact and would meet soon.

The move was welcomed by Ulster Unionist MP David Burnside who hoped it would lead to both parties setting aside their differences for the benefit of their supporters.

The UUP and DUP have been engaged in a bitter contest for unionist votes since Mr Trimble backed the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

The DUP has been making gains recently at the UUP’s expense - taking three Westminster seats from Mr Trimble’s party in the recent General Election.

But Mr Burnside, who regained South Antrim from the DUP, said today: "Many people in the party believe irrespective of our past differences there can be co-operation between both unionist parties and believe it is necessary especially on an issue like policing."

Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin claimed the talks were proof that "David Trimble is an anti-Agreement leader of what has now become an anti-Agreement party.

"It also highlights the magnitude of the miscalculation by the SDLP in jumping too soon on its decision to join the Policing Boards while quite clearly the issue of policing is far from being resolved."

UUP and DUP sources insisted the talks were at this stage "exploratory".

The move comes at a critical stage in the peace process, following the first major fracture in the nationalist consensus which has characterised it up to now.

The SDLP’s decision to go onto the Policing Board and back the plan has set them in direct opposition with Sinn Fein for the first time.

With the Government facing the prospect of the Northern Ireland Assembly and power-sharing executive collapsing on September 23 over the issue of IRA weapons, UUP sources were also signalling tonight that the party may not be in a position to nominate to the Policing Board in time.

Failure to establish the board by then would force the Government to set up a shadow Policing Board which would not have the same powers.

A source explained: "There are a number of things in this implementation plan we are unhappy about - the issue of the independent nominees, the role of ex-paramilitary prisoners on district police partnership boards, police numbers.

"Those will need to be addressed because if they aren’t, we will not be in a position to nominate."