The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, described the overwhelming Yes vote in Northern Ireland as a manifestation of "courage and vision."
Acknowledging the deep concerns among the unionist community about the Belfast Agreement, Mr Blair said it was his duty to address their misgivings. Despite the fears, the people of Northern Ireland and of the Republic had spoken with a resounding voice in favour of the deal and there was now much more work to be done.
"From now on the people have said `we will resolve our differences not by the gun and the bomb, but by persuasion and democracy, in a climate of tolerance, peace and respect', Mr Blair said from his official residence, Chequers.
"For my part I thank the people of Northern Ireland and, as I said before the vote, I say again: I shall be back again and again to make good the promises I made."
Downing Street said last night Mr Blair would return to the North within the next two weeks but reports that Queen Elizabeth would visit Belfast to put her personal seal on the agreement were described as "pure speculation" by Buckingham Palace. A spokesman said if a separate invitation was made to Queen Elizabeth to visit Dublin, she would "take advice from the government," but no date had been set aside in her diary. The Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, welcomed the 71.12 per cent endorsement of the agreement, saying that a majority of both communities in the North had voted in favour of the deal. She rejected calls by the DUP for a re-run of the referendum: "It is three to one saying `let's move forward'. It is a resounding victory for the people of Northern Ireland."
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, Dr Mowlam said the British government would honour its commitment to addressing the concerns among unionists about the agreement. She also indicated that the number of British troops on the streets in Northern Ireland would be reduced "if and when the agreement continues to move forward."
The Tory leader, Mr William Hague, described the result as a "very good day" for Northern Ireland. "There's still an enormous amount to do of course - it now has to be made to work - but I think there is a great deal of ground for optimism", he told Sky News.
The former British prime minister, Mr John Major, warned politicians in Northern Ireland not to try to thwart the will of the people, who he said had voted to give themselves "a glimpse of what the future can be like".
He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend that he had always hoped things would reach this stage. "I always believed in the politics of reason. It seemed to me impossible to envisage Northern Ireland proceeding for the next 30 years in the way it had in the last 30. It seemed to me we had to try. There was no certainty of an outcome, but I did always believe it was possible."
He added the "sheer size" of the majority in the Republic had surprised him. In Northern Ireland, 66 per cent had always been needed , "and I hoped for 70. The fact that it is over 70 is a bonus".
Reminding the government that it was vital to deliver on its assurances on decommissioning, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, Mr Andrew Mackay, said yesterday the party had promised unionists it would work to amend decommissioning legislation if it was not happy with the arrangements. "We pledged them and owe it to them now to make sure that there is no government backsliding."