The outcome of today's Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) meeting remained uncertain last night after the intervention of Ulster Unionist MP Mr John Taylor triggered a face-to-face encounter between Mr David Trimble and Mr Jeffrey Donaldson.
The First Minister, Mr Trimble, was under severe pressure last night from Mr Taylor and Mr Donaldson to agree to a compromise motion that would incorporate an explicit deadline for IRA decommissioning.
The price of Mr Taylor's support, which could be vital in determining whether Mr Trimble can carry his council today, may depend on such a deadline. One informed source in the "Yes" camp said Mr Trimble was reluctant to impose ultimatums.
Mr Donaldson and his anti-agreement allies are banking on Mr Taylor swinging to their side, thus forcing Mr Trimble to harden his position. Mr Trimble carried the last council meeting in May by a mere 28 votes, and were he to lose Mr Taylor's support, his position would be jeopardised considerably.
The British and Irish governments are anxious that no ultimatums be issued and yesterday evening the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, expressed "deep concern that David Trimble may tomorrow promote an approach to the agreement that subverts, and ultimately brings about its collapse".
Mr Trimble and Mr Donaldson met yesterday for 15 minutes at the Ulster Unionist Party's Glengall Street headquarters around 5.30 p.m. Sources said that the meeting "did not go anywhere" but there would probably be a further meeting this morning.
Economy Minister Sir Reg Empey, a key ally of Mr Trimble, who was also involved in setting up the Trimble-Donaldson encounter, said that stresses obviously remained. "We have had a discussion. We will reflect overnight and look at it again in the morning," he said last night.
He hoped that Mr Taylor would be happy with Mr Trimble's stance today. "I hope that what emerges today will be to John's satisfaction," he said, acknowledging the importance of the Strangford MP's role in deciding the outcome of today's meeting.
In a letter to the UUC's 860 members, Mr Trimble maintained his onslaught on Mr Donaldson and the "No" wing of the party. He accused the Lagan Valley MP of being "precious" and said "No" unionists were waging "constant warfare" that was damaging the party. He appealed to council members to hold their nerve.
His own nerve was tested after Mr Taylor edged towards Mr Donaldson's position of imposing a deadline for a start to decommissioning.
"There is considerable merit in many of the contents of the proposal by Jeffrey Donaldson and colleagues," said Mr Taylor, who has already urged a Christmas decommissioning deadline, a date which the "No" wing could almost certainly readily accept.
"There is scope for negotiation and agreement leading to unanimity at the Ulster Unionist Council meeting. I urge an all-out effort to reach that agreement."
Mr Trimble believes that his proposals, which are understood to involve a phased set of sanctions should the IRA fail to meet its commitments on arms, could still command the support of a majority of the council this morning. His instinct would be to take on the anti-agreement wing of the party.
His position was yesterday boosted by a Belfast Telegraph poll that showed that 68 per cent of UUP voters thought Mr Trimble should stick it out and almost 60 per cent believed he was still the best person to lead the party. Only 27 per cent backed Mr Donaldson's withdrawal strategy and a further 29 per cent believed the dissident Lagan Valley MP should take over as UUP leader.