The two main unionist leaders, Mr David Trimble and the Rev Ian Paisley, finally came head to head in a heated live TV debate last night in the closing hours of the referendum campaign.
In a 10-minute encounter on the BBC's Newsline programme, Dr Paisley accused the Ulster Unionist Party leader of being prepared to "break the Union", while Mr Trimble said his efforts over the last 2 1/2 years had been directed towards "giving people a chance". Mr Trimble said the debate was about trust and also about "the past and what has happened and what has been achieved and not been achieved". He referred to Dr Paisley's appearances with people "marching up and down hills waving bits of paper". Mr Trimble produced a picture of men in berets. "You dropped them pretty quick when some of them got into trouble," he said.
Dr Paisley then produced what he said was a document from 1988 which showed Mr Trimble was "prepared to break the Union". Now, said Dr Paisley, Mr Trimble "has had the approval of Gerry Adams. Well done, David," Mr Paisley said. "What I have done in the last 2 1/2
years is to give the people of Northern Ireland a chance," Mr Trimble said. "What Ian is doing is going to let Sinn Fein/IRA off the hook." He said that under the Belfast Agreement democratic accountability would be returned to the North.
Dr Paisley then turned to the proposed early release of prisoners, and said that by supporting the agreement, Mr Trimble was "going to let the murderers out in 24 months". Asked if he had anticipated the hostile reaction to the planned releases, Mr Trimble replied: "Well I'm not happy about it either." But it was all part of an "overall situation", he said.
"We have got to judge it in the round. We have got to look at the opportunity there is for the future." Asked about the percentage Yes vote needed, Mr Trimble said over 70 per cent would be an excellent result. "I think we are heading for that." Dr Paisley said the majority of the unionist people would vote No. Later, on the BBC's Hearts and Minds programme, Mr Trimble debated the agreement with the UK Unionist leader, Mr Bob McCartney, who dismissed assurances given by the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair. He said he would judge people based on their performance in the past and the British government had not delivered on previous undertakings about decommissioning.
Both claimed undecided voters were swinging towards them.