British Govt to announce name of ceasefire monitor

The British government is to make an announcement on who it will appoint to monitor the paramilitary ceasefires in the North.

The move, which was demanded by the Ulster Unionists to expose what they claim are breaches in the IRA ceasefire, is opposed by Sinn Fein and the SDLP.

As the political temperature mounts towards the critical meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council on September 21, there was a rash of talks today involving all the main parties along with the Decommissioning Body, the British government and the US envoy Richard Haass.

In London, Tony Blair met the UUP leader, David Trimble who welcomed the appointment of a ceasefire monitor.

The Northern Secretary, John Reid, however made it clear that he would still have the last word on whether a ceasefire had been broken.

The SDLP opposes the monitor idea saying there was no value in it.

The IRA and Sinn Fein also say the proposal could potentially sow the seeds of a real crisis and allow unionists to stall the peace process.