Blair to meet unionists today

Ulster Unionists are looking for something more substantial than an act of disarmament from the IRA if devolution is to be restored, a senior member of the party said today.

As David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists headed to Downing Street for talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair to revive the peace process, former Stormont minister Michael McGimpsey insisted republicans would have to address the need to abandon paramilitarism.

“We need an end to paramilitarism in all its forms,” the South Belfast MLA said.

“That covers a broad and extensive menu from the IRA ending so-called punishment beatings and shootings to stopping the importation of weapons, intelligence gathering and targeting.

“It must also fulfil its obligations under the Belfast Agreement on decommissioning.

“Loyalists also need to honour their obligations because we have had Sinn Fein hiding behind UDA actions and loyalists hiding behind the IRA.

“We want the Prime Minister to spell out what has to be done in terms of ’acts of completion’ and specifically what happens to Sinn Fein if republicans fail to address that.”

Mr McGimpsey said republicans had to address the crisis in confidence in them within unionism.

Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government and Assembly were suspended last October after unionists threatened to walk out of the Stormont Executive over a series of allegations against the IRA.

The IRA was accused of fuelling sectarian street clashes in Belfast and of continuing to rearm, gather intelligence and target individuals.

However, the problems with the peace process were further exacerbated last month with the leaking of an Irish Government document which said the IRA had acquired some weapons and was still recruiting.

The document prompted Mr Trimble to storm out of round-table talks before Christmas.

Mr McGimpsey said any decision on whether the Ulster Unionists would return would be based on Blair’s strategy for dealing with republicans.

With Mr Blair preparing for a possible war with Iraq, it is believed Northern Ireland's pro-Good Friday Agreement parties have only a few weeks to revive devolution.

The British Prime Minister is expected to meet the nationalist SDLP on Thursday and Sinn Fein later this week.

However, with the gulf between republicans and unionists remaining wide, Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly yesterday dismissed calls for his party to be excluded from devolved government.

Insisting exclusion was not a way to secure devolution, the North Belfast MLA warned: “Remember, when you are talking about excluding Sinn Fein, you are talking about excluding the largest nationalist party and the largest nationalist vote in the north of Ireland.

“That’s the difficulty here, you are talking about excluding that many voters.”

Meanwhile SDLP leader Mark Durkan accused the Ulster Unionists and Sinn Fein of making “the same old arguments” as they entered the New Year.

“On the one hand (hardline Ulster Unionist MP) Jeffrey Donaldson says the only issue is the IRA, while on the other Sinn Fein continue their mantra that the primary responsibility for failure to implement the Agreement rests with the British government,” the Foyle MLA said.

“People are sick of seeing the same old blame game being played out. Parties must end the finger pointing and get down to the business of resolving all of the issues if there is to be any progress.”