Mowlam reiterates tough stance on Sinn Fein
The Northern Ireland Secretary, Mo Mowlam, has again emphasised that there will be no place for Sinn Fein at the June talks on Northern Ireland without an IRA ceasefire. "Sinn Fein can join the political process, but only on proper terms: an unequivocal restoration of the IRA ceasefire reflected in words and deed," she said.
Speaking on a visit to Northern Ireland, Ms Mowlam underlined the principals governing London's approach to the conflict: "We seek a political settlement which both unionists and nationalists can support. Any settlement will be put to the people of Northern Ireland in a referendum."
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein are looking for early "positive signals" from the new Labour Government, said its President, Gerry Adams.
"They do have the ability to take us all in a peaceful direction. I therefore look forward to the future with some optimism and a lot of hope," he said, hours after Tony Blair held his first meeting with his Irish counterpart, John Bruton, in Downing Street.
Mr Adams said no time should be lost trying to find a settlement. "I look forward to the British government sending positive signals," he said.
The Sinn Fein president highlighted specific steps which the new government could take, such as releasing Irish prisoners.
"They clearly have the will on those important issues; they should have the same will to tackle an issue - a peace settlement in Ireland - which so dramatically effects people on this island and in Britain," said Mr Adams.
Sinn Fein's chief negotiator Martin McGuinness, the MP for Mid Ulster, said he could not speculate on the date for a fresh IRA ceasefire.
"What I can tell you is that we have now a new British Government with a very substantial majority in Britain and I think the expectation in Ireland is this new British Government will apply new thinking, new language, new imagination to the search for peace in this country," he told Radio 4's Today programme.
"Here in Ireland there is an expectation that there will be a changed attitude from the new British Government, bearing in mind that it was the old British Government under John Major which sabotaged the first peace process," he said.
"We did, in my opinion, have a quality ceasefire which lasted for 18 months, during which time John Major did nothing to bring about substantial negotiations," he added.
Mr McGuinness urged the Government to look at the proposals Sinn Fein proposals as they were sent to John Major.
These called for Sinn Fein to be given a date for talks if a second IRA ceasefire was announced, a timetable of between six and nine months for the end of the talks, and assurances that there would be no pre-conditions to the talks, such as over decommissioning of weapons.
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