THE loyalist ceasefire is at breaking point and UVF members believe that the peace process is over, a leading loyalist politician has warned.
Mr David Ervine, leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing, said that the loyalist ceasefire was heading for collapse, and that the Government and the SDLP would have to make progress and stop waiting for the IRA.
He said that he could not rule out a return to violence by loyalists even before the IRA mounted another attack.
However, another senior loyalist source said the ceasefire declared by the Combined Loyalist Military Command was safe as long as the IRA did not carry out further attacks. He said he was "sick, sore and tired" of Mr Ervine's "scare tactics".
The source added: "He is devaluing the loyalist ceasefire and doing exactly the same thing that he condemned Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness for doing in relation to the IRA ceasefire."
This source added that the loyalist ceasefire was safe, especially as the most controversial part of the marching season was over.
Mr Ervine, said that loyalists believed there was little to be gained from the political process and the IRA seemed to be in control of the nationalist political agenda. There was little hope that the Provisionals' ceasefire would be restored, he said.
He predicted that sectarian divisions in the North would worsen as the British general election approached. Making progress at all-party talks would be difficult in such "polluted circumstances".
Mr Ervine accused the Government of standing "shoulder to shoulder with the Provos" on the issue of Sinn Fein's admission to talks without an IRA ceasefire.
Loyalists felt dangerously isolated and did not trust either the British or Irish governments, he said. Dublin had handled the peace process very badly. It had repeatedly insulted loyalists and acted in a very biased manner during the marching season.
The level of displeasure with the Government had reached unprecedented heights, he said. "I have never known the level of hatred for the Irish Government to be as severe as it is now. Loyalists see the Irish Government as being wholly dubious and I don't think that augurs well."
The loyalist ceasefire was under constant review and comments from the leadership did not make good "listening or reading". He said: "The basis of the UVF/Red Hand Commando thinking at this time is for survival of the unionist population and their way of life." Mr Ervine said there had been a "greening" of the SDLP. He urged nationalists to start considering the feelings of law-abiding citizens and not the IRA.