The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, yesterday told leaders of the Orange Order that he was not in a position to reverse the Parades Commission's decision not to allow the Order to march down the Garvaghy Road in Portadown.
Mr Blair met the Orange leaders in Downing Street, amid fears of more violence in Northern Ireland at the weekend. The Orange Order told Mr Blair that they were "very firmly of the opinion" that they must complete their traditional route down the Garvaghy Road in the town.
After the 90-minute meeting the Orange leaders gave little away about the substance of their discussion and both sides seemed to be as far apart as ever.
Mr Denis Watson, the County Grand Master of Armagh, described the meeting as "full and frank" and said he and the other Orange leaders at the meeting - Mr George Patton, executive officer of the Orange Order; the Rev William Bingham, the Armagh chaplain, and Mr Stephen McLaughlin, the Armagh secretary - would report back to their brethren in Portadown.
The British government's evaluation of the meeting focused on the need to find a local accommodation. Mr Blair welcomed the Orange Order's efforts to "keep the temperature down" but his spokesman admitted that the situation at Drumcree was "very difficult" and that despite the meeting "the difficulties remain".
Mr Blair does not plan to visit Northern Ireland at present but the spokesman said the Prime Minister urged everyone in a position of authority and potential leadership roles to do everything they could to resolve the situation.
After meeting Mr Blair, the Orange leaders held a press conference nearby. They were joined by several unionist MPs opposed to the Belfast Agreement - including the DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, the UUP MP, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, and the UKUP leader, Mr Robert McCartney.
Mr Bingham said he was "greatly concerned" about the Northern situation, as was Mr Blair, but Orangemen must complete their traditional route.
It was important to keep the lines of communication open "no matter how difficult or how strong the impasse might be," but the Orange Order would not talk to the spokesman of the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition, Mr Brean dan Mac Cionnaith.
Asked why he had spoken with the former loyalist terrorist, Mr Kenny McClinton, and not to Mr Mac Cionnaith, a former IRA terrorist, Mr Watson replied: "I only spoke to Kenny McClinton, I did not discuss any matters of substance whatsoever . . . I think there is a slight difference in that Kenny McClinton is repentant, has already repented of any activities that he has undertaken."
Condemning the violence across Northern Ireland, Mr Bingham said it "totally undermines" the Orange Order's position. He was not aware of any attempts or plans for the Orange Order to paralyse Northern Ireland and called on members to engage in a peaceful and dignified protest that would not discredit the organisation.
"Our feeling is that there are groups in society orchestrating violence to undermine our position. We don't think any threats of violence, in any shape or form, are a current reflection of what Orangeism is about, but in actual fact it is something opposite to Orangeism."