Trimble says progress can be made

Trimble Acknowledges "Possibilities for Progress"

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble emerged from his talks with Tony Blair on Monday hinting that there could be a breakthrough in the search for a political settlement in Northern Ireland.

David Trimble outlines his position on the BBC's PM programme

Speaking to reporters after his meeting, Mr Trimble - who earlier accused the government of duplicity - said there were "some possibilities for progress".

However, decommissioning of paramilitary weapons remains the principal stumbling block. Mr Trimble confirmed that his party could not support the Government's proposals on the decommissioning of IRA weapons and would vote against them at the Stormont talks on Wednesday.

"The matter is still continuing and is not yet sorted, " Mr Trimble said. "The position remains that we cannot support that Paper (on decommissioning) should it come to a vote on Wednesday."

Northern Ireland Secretary Mo Mowlam described the meeting as "constructive". She said: "I think what is important is there was no indication that the UUP were going to walk from the talks, which is very useful because after the ceasefire what is important to so many people in Northern Ireland is that we do manage to move the talks process forward."

Mo Mowlam: meeting was "constructive"

Ms Mowlam said there was no likelihood of the Government agreeing to changes in the paper on decommissioning, as the position had already been agreed with the Irish Government. She also rejected suggestions that the decommissioning proposals would be voted down.

At a later press conference, Mr Trimble argued that there was a difference between what the Government said in public and what its decommissioning proposals would actually achieve. At the same time, he suggested that the matter might not come to a head on Wednesday, adding that there were some signs that Mr Blair might be able to meet some of his concerns over decommissioning.

Mr Trimble declared: "We are not shirking our responsibilities. We are not in the mode of walking out...We do wish to see decent, proper dialogue with all those parties that are committed to peaceful means and we do hope that the matter can be resolved in that way."

Sinn Fein, meanwhile, has said that if the Unionists refuse to attend negotiations, the British Government should negotiate directly with nationalists. Speaking at a rally in Londonderry, chief negotiator Martin McGuinness declared: "Decommissioning is an issue which will be discussed in the negotiations and we in Sinn Fein have no problem, no difficulty whatsoever in addresing that issue."

Mr McGuinness said that the key point was to remove the causes of the conflict, which would make it "much easier to remove the weaponry which is all around us."