THE deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has said prior decommissioning of loyalist paramilitary arms would not be necessary before the fringe loyalist parties could join in "the real negotiations". Mr John Taylor's comments have generated confusion and some controversy in unionist circles.
In a letter to the News Letter, the Northern daily paper which supports the unionist line, Mr Taylor wrote yesterday that, in contrast to the DUP and the UK Unionist Party, "the UUP accepts the participation of the fringe loyalist parties in the real negotiations without any prior decommissioning.
He claimed that this reflected his party's acceptance of "the Mitchell Report's recommendation that there should be no decommissioning until it is mutual - i.e. carried out by the loyalist and republican paramilitaries at the same time."
Mr Taylor added that "the requirement of the DUP and UKUP that loyalist paramilitaries should decommission irrespective of the IRA is contrary to the Mitchell recommendations and is unreasonable".
Mr David Trimble, the UUP leader, recently said his party would require significant decommissioning of arms by the IRA before Sinn Fein would be allowed to participate in the talks.
Mr Taylor's version of his party's policy has caused further confusion, as was noted in the News Letter editorial yesterday.
The paper pointed out that Mr Taylor's policy was based on a certain interpretation of the Mitchell Report. It noted that he conceded that the goalposts would change if Sinn Fein ever got to the talks table on the back of a permanent IRA ceasefire. "Then it will be high noon for the fringe loyalists when the UVF and UFF along, with the IRA are asked to decommission", the paper said.
The editorial in the News Letter stated: "Clear inconsistencies exist in this Ulster Unionist position which will confuse, and even disturb, many on both sides of the political divide in Northern Ireland.
"There will be a significant number of UUP supporters, indeed many across the broad political spectrum, who will be deeply unhappy that there is any dilution in the party line on ground rules for involvement in the all party negotiations even if the participants are non combative loyalists.
"The idea of negotiating on the future of Northern Ireland with those who still have guns under the table is repulsive to a great many people in this province and beyond.
There will also be nationalists who will argue, with some justification, that if loyalists are admitted to negotiations without abandoning their weapons the same rules must apply to Sinn Fein, provided there is an IRA ceasefire.
Meanwhile, in a speech in his Strangford constituency last night, Mr Taylor strongly criticised the Irish and British governments for failing so far to publish their proposed new legislation to allow for the decommissioning of illegal weapons.