Trimble urges British government to act over street violence

The British government was urged today to take action to restore confidence in the Northern Ireland peace process after weeks of street violence in Belfast.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble urged ministers to ‘‘get a grip on the situation and recreate some confidence in the community’’.

He warned that if they did not tackle ‘‘continued instability in the process and create the necessary confidence, the prospects for next year are not good at all’’.

In a Westminster Hall debate on the peace process, Mr Trimble acknowledged there had been considerable political progress in the province under the deal.

‘‘But the difficulty we are in at the moment is entirely because the paramilitary organisations haven’t made the progress we would wish.’’

Of the upsurge in violence and riots on the streets, he said: ‘‘The greater share of the responsibility lies with the republican movement and in particular the IRA.’’

Mr Trimble said he did not think the republican leadership wanted to return to a ‘‘full scale terrorist campaign,’’ but they were clearly committed to ‘‘a strategy of tension, demonstrated in the orchestration of the riots’’.

The Prime Minister must set out a clear definition, spelling out how the ceasefires were supposed to work before the end of the month, he said. Credible sanctions were also needed to deploy against those paramilitary groups that failed to abide by the ceasefire.