THE Northern Ireland Secretary stressed yesterday that the British government did not oppose in principle the suggestion by the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, of a special conference.
But Sir Patrick Mayhew felt it would not be possible because of unionist opposition.
He simply described as "premature" Mr Spring's proposal for a Dayton style conference.
Addressing the Foreign Press Association in London he said: "We have no problems in principle with the idea of a conference, but only if it would be useful and if it could be achieved.
"Yesterday we had to point out that the conditions justifying calling such a conference did not exist.
"Unionist parties would not be there, so it was premature. Later yesterday when the proposal became public, unionists immediately confirmed what I had forecast," he said.
Instead, Sir Patrick repeated that the British government's proposal for an election in Northern Ireland, rigorously opposed by Mr Spring, could further the peace process.
"It is misconceived to see elections as an obstacle to be overcome before the negotiations can be reached.
"There is only one obstacle, the lack of confidence needed to get parties around the table.
"Elections are not an obstacle but a door," he said.
Attempting to reassure nationalist fears over elections, Sir Patrick said that nothing would be "foisted" on any party and that it would simply be a "passport" to talks rather than a return to Stormont, to the exclusion of the "all Ireland dimension".
He also dismissed nationalist concerns that elections could prove to be divisive, with parties adopting hardline manifestos, by arguing that these fears showed "too little faith" in the peace process.
"President Clinton, for example, said when in Northern Ireland: `The will for peace is now stronger than the force of arms'. Consulting the people who assured him of that can only create an even greater impetus in the search for a just, lasting and democratically held peace", he said.
Concluding his speech to the journalists, Sir Patrick said the British government wanted to reach agreement on the way forward to build the necessary confidence in the peace process by the end of this month and he predicted that the continuing problems over all party talks would "pale into insignificance" when the negotiations for a settlement finally began.
"But, with goodwill on all sides and a clear joint purpose from the two governments, the prospects still look better than they have for more than a generation", he said.
