Loyalists seek more cash for communities

Loyalist paramilitary representatives held talks with a senior Government minister in Northern Ireland tonight in a bid to secure more funding for their community.

Representatives of the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force met Des Browne at Stormont on the outskirts of east Belfast.

They were among a 12-strong delegation from the Loyalist Commission, an umbrella body including Protestant clergymen, politicians and members of the main paramilitary groupings.

A Commission source who was at the meeting claimed Mr Browne, who handles Victims and Criminal Justice issues at the Northern Ireland Office, was urged to provide more support for working class loyalist areas.

“He was told about the under-resourcing in our community,” the source said.

“How can we play a role in a peaceful society when we don’t have the necessary funding and the vast majority of our people are wrongly labelled as criminals?”

British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s blueprint for breaking the political deadlock and restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland, due to be revealed within the next fortnight, was also discussed.

But Mr Browne refused to disclose any of the plan’s content.

The NIO minister’s meeting with the Loyalist Commission came just days after Chief Constable held talks with the body.

It was the first time the government has met with paramilitary representatives since former Secretary of State John Reid came face to face with loyalist terror bosses, including ousted UDA commander Johnny Adair, in east Belfast last year.

Since then that organisation has endured a vicious internal feud and called a 12 month ceasefire.

An NIO official described tonight’s encounter as positive and signalled more talks were planned.

He said: “It was a useful meeting and a number of issues were discussed and will be discussed at further meetings.”

Tommy Kirkham, a spokesman with the UDA-linked Ulster Political Research Group who was in the discussions, claimed progress had been made.

But he added: “A lot hinges on this document Tony Blair is preparing to release.”

One element of the package involves a ceasefire monitor being installed to judge if paramilitary organisations have breached their pledges to halt the shootings.

Mr Kirkham said: “The UPRG would support this because we need someone with a direct line to us that can clarify incidents rather than having people say the UDA have broken their ceasefire.”