Stand firm over IRA weapons, Blair urged

British Minister Tony Blair was under pressure tonight to stand by his insistence on the IRA getting rid of its weapons.

Both the Democratic Unionists and Ulster Unionists said there could be no restoration of Northern Ireland’s powersharing institutions while the terror group still held on to arms.

DUP leader Ian Paisley said negotiations later this month involving Mr Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern would go nowhere unless the IRA disbanded.

“Everything else depends on will the British government show its power and deal with the armed gunmen,” he said.

“All these other matters, essential as they may be if we are going to have proper devolution in Northern Ireland cannot be discussed properly until we know that the rubbish has been removed,” he added.

The parties gathered at Parliament Buildings in Stormont where Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy held talks aimed at preparing the ground for intensive negotiations at Leeds Castle in Kent.

Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen also met the political parties for discussions about north south relations.

The Assembly has been suspended since October 2002 amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering at the Northern Ireland Office.

There is little optimism in Belfast that the latest round of talks can bring about the required breakthrough to restore the political institutions.

However, Mr Murphy has said he believed Northern Ireland’s politicians were serious about clinching a deal which would bring an end to direct rule from Westminster.

“There is no question in my mind that all political parties in Northern Ireland really do want devolution back and the ability to run their own affairs,” he said.

UUP senior negotiator Reg Empey citing a speech by Mr Blair in Belfast in October 2002 calling for an end to all paramilitary activity, said there was no point to the forthcoming Leeds Castle talks unless Tony Blair resolved the issue of arms.

“There is no point in going over for a spin operation. There is no point in going over for further play acting,” he added.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams, who described Mr Paisley’s remarks about republicans as regrettable, said his party was up for securing a deal.

“Part of the difficulty is that the DUP have been very honest. They are against the Agreement, they are against powersharing.

“They want to change what people voted for in two referendums on this island.

“Whatever the DUP’s stance, we, as everyone else who lives on this island, have the right to equality.

“We are at this with a good heart. We are not deflected and we know that Paisleyism represents that aspect of unionism which is against the type of changes which are required.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan said his party’s agenda was about the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

“We have had a lot of hype and spin and expectation going into talks before. We don’t need any more hype and spin what we need to see is substance,” he added.

Meanwhile Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff Jonathan Powell held separate talks today with some of the parties at nearby Stormont Castle.

Sources said the decision to send Mr Powell was a measure of how serious the British Prime Minister was about securing a deal to restore devolution.

2 ULSTER Talks Nightlead

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today it was essential a deal on restoring devolution was made before the next general election.

“I don’t go with any of this talk that you can put it off to the other side of the elections,” he said.

Speaking in Dublin he said it was unrealistic to wait until then, pointing out that apart from the election, the UK would be holding the presidency of the European Union from January next.

Mr Ahern also said that his Government was opposed to any changes to the system of electing Northern Ireland’s first and deputy first minister.

Meanwhile Downing Street has confirmed Mr Blair and Mr Ahern will be meeting ahead of the Leeds Castle talks later in the month.