The DUP and the Northern Secretary have met in a surprisingly cordial atmosphere, with the Rev Ian Paisley pledging to pursue a "constructive" political agenda. Gerry Moriarty and Dan Keenan report.
Both DUP leader Dr Paisley and Mr Murphy said the meeting was "positive" although one British source confirmed the difficult issue of whether future talks on the Belfast Agreement would be a review or a renegotiation was not tackled.
Mr Murphy is writing to the North's political parties today inviting them to submit their proposals on how the review of the agreement should be conducted. Problems could arise if the DUP demands an agenda that would effectively try to fatally undermine the accord.
A delegation of 13 of the DUP's 30-member Assembly team met Mr Murphy at Stormont, after which Dr Paisley read out an affirmative statement which caught some unawares.
"We have had a positive discussion with the Secretary of State and believe we have made some progress," he said. The DUP leader, who would not take questions from reporters, said that the nature of forthcoming "negotiations" must be broad enough to address all DUP concerns.
The DUP is to meet Mr Murphy again shortly and is also expected to meet the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, at Downing Street before Christmas. All the main Northern parties are likely to meet Mr Blair before the holidays.
"We want to meet with the prime minister to ensure that he understands our position and respects the positive agenda we are pursuing," said Dr Paisley.
Meanwhile in the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr David Trimble was again pressed by Mr Jeffrey Donaldson to quit as leader. The Donaldson wing of the party had entertained some initial hope that a sufficient number of the Assembly team would urge Mr Trimble to resign because the DUP had overtaken it.
Trimble loyalists however rallied behind him. Indeed, there was something of an attempt to "ambush" Mr Donaldson with new MLA Mr David McNarry reportedly threatening to requisition a meeting of the party's ruling Ulster Unionist Council to debate a motion seeking Mr Donaldson's expulsion.
Mr McNarry refused to confirm this report, although Mr Donaldson acknowledged a pre-emptive move to force him out of the party was being considered within the pro-Trimble bloc of the UUP. Mr Trimble was more anxious to put pressure on the DUP rather than discuss his party's divisions. He warned Dr Paisley that now he was "in the driving seat" of unionism, choosing not to drive anywhere was not an option.
In a surprising development, UUP MLA Mr Norman Hillis, originally perceived as anti-agreement, indicated he would support Mr Trimble.