David Trimble, Exclusion of Sinn Féin is not a way forward
The major parties in the North had an afternoon of talks on decommissioning today which they described afterwards as "useful". A statement from Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP said they would meet again tomorrow. A spokesman for the Ulster Unionists described the atmosphere at the talks as workmanlike.
Earlier, Northern Secretary Mo Mowlam called on all sides in the peace process to take a risk and to keep going. Speaking in the House of Commons today she said that yesterday's opinion poll in the Irish Times which showed a 73% majority in favour of the agreement proved that support for the accord was strong and getting stronger. She later rejected calls by Shadow Secretary Andrew Mackay to go ahead with setting up the executive excluding Sinn Féin until they started decommissioning. She said decommissioning was not a precondition but an obligation.
Meanwhile, Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition has said she hopes a transitional executive can be set up within weeks. Professor McWilliams said it was imperative that the agreement was not parked for the summer months. Mr Blair, is due to hold separate meetings with some of the smaller pro-Agreement Parties in London tomorrow. The parties include the Women's Coalition, the Alliance Party, the Progressive Unionists and the Ulster Democratic Party.
