Blair reassures parties of commitment to peace process
The British Prime Minister last night held discussions with Sinn Fein, the nationalist SDLP and loyalist parties the Progression Unionists and the Ulster Democratic Party.
He will hold further talks later with the Alliance Party, Women’s Coalition and anti-Good Friday Agreement Democratic Unionist Party.
And although is also set to resume negotiations with Sinn Fein, Mr Blair warned against expecting an immediate breakthrough.
‘‘I think it’s a question of exploring whether the will is there to do a deal at all.
‘‘It’s not a situation where there’s some sort of deadline, but I think there’s a sense of urgency in moving the process forward again there. I’ll do whatever I can to help them.’’
Mr Blair insisted that he had not reneged on any promises given to republicans last May and detailed moves made by the Government on so-called normalisation and the prisoner release scheme.
‘‘There are now I think some 32 bases in Northern Ireland that have been closed, two-thirds of Northern Ireland has no troop patrols, we have put the Disqualification Bill through Parliament.
‘‘But if we are to move further we need to know that there are moves from other people as well.’’
He acknowledged there was still ‘‘an enormous amount to resolve’’ but said that those opposed to the peace process did not have any alternative.
‘‘The one thing that is clear is that all the parties want this to work. We have got a functioning executive here in Northern Ireland and an assembly which have produced a programme for government.
‘‘There are huge steps forward but we got to complete the rest of it.’’
Mr Blair said no-one should be upset by the length of time it is taking to move forward on the most contentious issues under the Good Friday Agreement of disarmament, demilitarisation and a new police service.
‘‘It’s a natural part of the process. The reason we call it a peace process is that it isn’t an event.
‘‘You don’t wake up the day after the event and everything is hunky-dory and resolved.
‘‘It is called a process because that’s precisely what it is and if at times it’s agonising that is only because you are resolving questions with a huge historical legacy and baggage behind them.’’
