THE Ulster Democratic Party leader, Mr Gary McMichael, was at pains yesterday to insist - in contradiction of dire warnings from the Progressive Unionist Party - that the loyalist ceasefire remained stable and solid.
Mr McMichael was responding to Tuesday's warning by PUP spokesman Mr David Ervine that the ceasefire was becoming increasingly fragile.
The disparate viewpoints illustrate the tensions within fringe loyalism, the fraught nature of the loyalist ceasefire and, more ominously, what the Rev Roy Magee claims is a campaign by some middle class unionists to force a breakdown of the ceasefire.
The Presbyterian minister, a key broker of the loyalist ceasefire, which was called 18 months ago, told The Irish Times last night there are middle class interests of a "unionist persuasion" who want the ceasefire to collapse.
Since the ceasefires were called on October 13th, 1994, there has been a concentrated, well organised propaganda campaign to undermine the discipline and solidity of the Combined Loyalist Military Command (CLMC), says Mr Magee. Certain middle class elements are involved.
It has involved the distribution of leaflets and pamphlets to susceptible loyalists who were felt to be disenchanted with the ceasefire and open to resuming the campaign of violence. The highlight of the campaign was the recent production of a two hour video claiming the loyalist leadership and clerics such as Mr Magee were "surrendering" the union.
Mr Ervine, with his "doom and gloom" warning, was reflecting the pressure to which the PUP, who is representative of the UVF, is being exposed.
Loyalist sources said the hard line taken by Mr Ervine was not a "natural" illustration of his political ideology. Pressure from rank and file PUP and UVF members was forcing this line, they said.
The rank and file have, in turn, been influenced by what Mr Magee describes as a sinister and, clandestine propaganda exercise by more established forces unionism and elements of the business community.
It is understood that Mr McMichael was yesterday deputed by the UDA command, concerned about Mr Ervine's remarks, to reiterate the solidity of the ceasefire.
The UDA sources argue that it, is militant elements within the UVF, influenced by the campaign, which are putting pressure on the UVF leadership, and in turn on the" PUP, to issue hardline warnings.
Both UDP and PUP sources last night reiterated the centrality of the CLMC. They agreed that a" return to violence could only be approved by the CLMC, and there was "no immediate danger of that happening".
They said they had strong suspicions about who was involved in the campaign but did not yet have definitive proof.
But what of the allegations that some "business types" were involved in the propaganda operation? Ms Deirdre Stewart, acting head of the Confederation of British Industry in Northern Ireland, said the vast majority of business people favoured the ceasefire as it was good for business.
What the situation exposes, however, is the pressure on loyalists and the powder keg nature of their ceasefire.
