An imposed political solution, in the event of a failed Northern Ireland talks process, would lead to blood on the streets of Belfast, the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body has been told.
Mr David Wiltshire MP (Con), a hardline unionist, caused considerable unhappiness among his parliamentary colleagues yesterday when he described the Northern Ireland Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, as "naive" and called for the withdrawal of the Framework Document and an end to moves "to give away part of my country."
Mr Wiltshire said the clarification by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, of his weekend comments concerning the powers of the North-South strand had been helpful. But he said the Framework Document was still a major stumbling-block to progress for unionists and had to be addressed.
Any move by the two governments to impose a solution after the May deadline in the talks process would be "a recipe for blood on the streets of Belfast", he warned. He complained of the one-sided nature of concessions made recently in relation to prisoners, policing and security matters. And he said he was "appalled" by the decision of the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, to meet the president of Sinn Fein, Mr Gerry Adams, next week.
A number of British members of the parliamentary body distanced themselves from Mr Wiltshire's remarks, while some Irish members were directly critical of his comments.
The only other moment of friction emerged when the Sinn Fein member of the Irish delegation, Mr Caoimhghin O Caolain TD, sought to amend a motion calling for all-party engagement in substantive negotiations, to include the active involvement of both governments. The amendment was not pressed.
Mr Conor Lenihan TD (Fianna Fail) said unless there was a substantial North-South dimension, an Irish government would not be able to deliver on a referendum to amend Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution. There was a need for speed and engagement in the Northern Ireland talks, and the release of prisoners was an important confidence-building measure as far as Sinn Fein was concerned.
Senator Paddy McGowan (Fianna Fail) criticised Mr Wiltshire's expression of a "doomsday scenario". The kind of language he had used, in talking about "giving away part of my country", only encouraged young people to take up arms. His comments had been "totally objectionable" and "very harmful".