The Democratic Unionist Party is to threaten the British government with unspecified political sanctions when it meets Northern Secretary Peter Hain in London later today.
The Rev Ian Paisley, backed by many Assembly members on the steps of Stormont, warned that the British government would "pay a high price" for its programme of demilitarisation in Northern Ireland announced yesterday, and claimed the dramatic planned redrawing of the security response was "rushed" and a "sop to republicans".
He suggested his party would use its veto over entry into talks with Sinn Féin leading to the restoration of the institutions of the Belfast Agreement.
"The Secretary of State may believe that today's statement will bring forward devolution but the reality is that it will delay its return," he warned.
Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey considered the abolition of the locally recruited battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment to be so unacceptable that he called for a pan-unionist front to fight the measure. "Despite all these attacks on the UUP, this issue is so important that I am prepared to co- operate with like-minded unionists to seek to fight this irresponsible decision," he said.
Echoing a policy call made earlier yesterday by renegade UUP member David Burnside, he continued: "This would be a better use of our time and energy than an endless blame game between unionist parties that will only allow the government and republicans to get on with dismantling the defences of our country."
However, the DUP leader appeared uninterested. Instead he blamed the Ulster Unionists under former leader David Trimble, claiming the demilitarisation policy was drawn up when the UUP was the lead unionist party.
"Although the Secretary of State has confirmed that this is the outworking of an agreement entered into in April 2003 which was negotiated by the Ulster Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, he had a responsibility to consult with those who now represent unionism," said Dr Paisley.
"This he has failed to do. The joint declaration negotiated by David Trimble and Reg Empey is now coming back to haunt the people of the province. This bilateral agreement between the government and the IRA will have serious consequences for the political process.
"The government needs to learn that they are no longer dealing with David Trimble and Reg Empey," he added. "The era of pushover unionism is over."
The SDLP welcomed the announcements as sensible and appropriate, adding they would hasten the arrival of purely civilian policing. David Ford, the Alliance leader, queried its timing.
Sinn Féin Newry and Armagh MP Conor Murphy, who earlier in the day held talks with Mr Hain and Northern Ireland Chief Constable Hugh Orde said: "We have consistently called for the British government to produce a comprehensive strategy to achieve the demilitarisation of our society.
"Any such strategy would have to include the future of the RIR. Sinn Féin have consistently raised the issue of the continuing role of the RIR, its sectarian composition and its collusion with the unionist paramilitaries. Today's announcement deals with this issue."
In his first public comments on last Thursday's IRA statement, Sir Hugh said: "The statement has a greater clarity than anything we have seen before. But they are only words on a piece of paper and I think many communities will take real convincing that this is going to translate into real change, which to me is very clear - they [the IRA] must get rid of their guns and stop criminality.
"If the actions live up to the words, then we will be policing a more normal society."