THE recent activities of the IRA particularly in Britain, were "stupid and very unwelcome", the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume has said. These actions were giving the outside world the impression that the IRA was the actual Irish problem instead of being a reaction to it.
In an interview, Mr Hume said IRA activities were "concentrating minds on the wrong aspects of our situation" and the sooner they stopped the better.
Mr Hume said he hoped Labour would form the next British government. "Given that we're a sister party and we have always taken the Labour whip in Westminster we look forward to a Labour victory." The SDLP would look forward in particular to using its influence as a sister party on the social and economic front.
He presumed Mr Tony Blair would remain committed to the three strand approach in the Northern Ireland negotiations, as he had been in opposition.
"The first thing an incoming British government should do is make very clear that they are totally committed to the talks process and that the preconditions for Sinn Fein's entry are those laid down in the law after Canary Wharf - a genuine, unequivocal restoration of the IRA ceasefire and a commitment by Sinn Fein to the Mitchell principles."
He rejected as "nonsense" the Sinn Fein charge that he was the only person in the SDLP leadership who was genuinely committed to the peace process. "The SDLP has been very solid in its approach. In fact, the peace process, if you analyse it, is SDLP policy." The SDLP was "completely united", Mr Hume said.
"In my dialogue with Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein I have total support, because I was implementing the policies of my party. Not once in my dialogue with Sinn Fein did I depart one iota from the policies of the SDLP." His purpose in the Hume Adams contacts was to end IRA violence.
"I have no further contribution to make to that dialogue other than to ask the IRA now to end the violence so that all parties can be involved in the talks in a totally peaceful atmosphere."
He looked forward to engaging in "serious dialogue" with the Ulster Unionist Party and its leader, Mr David Trimble, when the talks resumed on June 3rd. "Of course, I'm quite willing to meet David Trimble at any time. In fact, I've made requests to him to sit down privately with me to discuss the whole Drumcree situation to see if we can come to any conclusions that would help that rather intense situation."
Mr Hume was not discouraged by the fact that Mr Trimble was a strongly committed unionist: "It took Nixon to go to China," he said.