There were sharp exchanges between Democratic Unionist Party members and the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, during a debate on the peace agreement at yesterday's session of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue.
Mr Trimble was jeered and heckled as he defended the agreement. The chairman of the forum, Mr John Gorman, called for order as DUP members interrupted Mr Trimble's speech and taunted him with the names of Ulster Unionist MPs opposed to the deal.
They shouted "Sell-out" and "Absolute tripe" as Mr Trimble said the agreement was a disaster for Sinn Fein and the IRA, and that it strengthened the North's position within the UK.
"We shall listen with interest to see if those who are barracking can produce any shred of argument whatsoever," Mr Trimble retorted.
Mr Trimble said the people crying "treachery" over the agreement had no alternative except the status quo with the continuation of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. They were the ones who "deserted the battlefield", he said.
The Ulster Unionist leader said he had kept all the promises he had made at the start of the talks, such as the ending of the Republic's territorial claim and a recognition of the territorial integrity of the UK.
He said it was important to distinguish between the parts of the agreement which related to structures and those which related to policies. The structures, such as the Assembly and the British-Irish council, were "as good as they could be". The Union was safe. "Dublin cannot dictate to us," he said.
Mr Trimble said unionists were not bound to accept the policies the Labour government was pursuing. "They are not good. By policies, I mean the so-called equality agenda, policing, prisoners, and so on." He said they would press the government for further changes on these.
"It must be obvious that we are in a better position to achieve change in those policies within the new structures than without them," Mr Trimble said.
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, claimed he had an earlier version of the document, and contrary to what the Ulster Unionists had said there had been no major changes to it. "We were told it wouldn't be touched with a 40-foot barge pole. Now it is embraced." Dr Paisley added: "When treachery takes the stage, secrecy is always its garment."
The Alliance Party leader, Lord Alderdice, then criticised Dr Paisley, saying he had decided to go against the agreement months before it was even reached.