DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson has vowed his party will remain united through all negotiations, while insisting it has "no deadline to meet" in the search for a political settlement in Northern Ireland.
With the Rev Ian Paisley sitting alongside, Mr Robinson told a well-attended meeting on the Conservative conference fringe yesterday that the DUP "has one leader and one policy".
In comments interpreted as signalling a determined closing-of-the-ranks ahead of next week's all-party talks in Scotland, Mr Robinson dismissed media talks of factions or "groups" and asserted the DUP would "emerge united at the end of the process".
Whether that process would result in restoration of a power-sharing executive, Mr Robinson made clear, would depend on "upfront" delivery of republican commitments on an end to criminality, support for the police and acceptance of the rule of law. "It's cash on delivery," he said: "You don't get anywhere in this democracy until you pay your membership . . . It has to be upfront on their part."
Identifying the issues likely to dominate next week's talks, Mr Robinson said people wanting to serve as ministers in an executive, "have to support the rule of law, they have to support the police and accept the courts". In addition, he said, Sinn Féin would have to encourage their supporters likewise "to accept the rule of law". The DUP would bring its own intelligence, police, security force and community based sources to bear following any IMC reports on the ending of IRA paramilitary and criminal activity.
However, while acknowledging significant progress already made - he said as a result of DUP pressure - Mr Robinson also reopened the question of "sanctions" or "safeguards" to be deployed should any end to criminal and paramilitary activity "prove not to be permanent".
Mr Robinson told the audience he expected next week's negotiations at St Andrews in Scotland "won't be the end of anything" and that he did not expect any decisions to be taken there.
"We're not rushing ourselves to meet anybody's timetable," he said of the British and Irish governments' November 24th deadline: "We will be guided not by calendar but by conditions."