Blair and Ahern finalise peace plan

Blair and Ahern: Telephone call to finalise plans

The British and Irish prime ministers have spoken by telephone in an effort to finalise their joint proposals aimed at breaking the political deadlock in Northern Ireland.

Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern are drawing up a package of proposals for a settlement between the pro-Agreement parties on the issues of arms, policing, demilitarisation and the stability of the political institutions.

They intend to present the "non-negotiable" document to the parties this week following five days of intensive talks brokered by Mr Blair and Mr Ahern, at Weston Park in Staffordshire.

The two prime ministers spoke by telephone on Monday.

The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Dr John Reid, said the two governments remained confident of a political breakthrough.

Document

He was speaking following comments made by the former first minister David Trimble that the Good Friday Agreement may prove unworkable.

Gerry Adams: "Government pandering to unionist demands"

But Dr Reid said they were still working on a document to put to the parties following the talks at Weston Park.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams said the British Government risked wrecking the Northern Ireland peace process if it kept "pandering to unionist demands".

"The British Government has to be asked is it for the Good Friday Agreement or is it going to continue to tailor it to meet both the anxieties of unionism or those within its own system who want to tweak and twist and re-invent the Agreement?" he said.

The chairman of the SDLP, Alex Attwood, refused to comment on speculation that the proposals included a blanket amnesty for paramilitaries.

"What is important is that we maximise the political will to ensure that those who have to respond to the package do so in a positive and creative fashion," he said.

David Trimble: Alternatives to Agreement may have to be considered

In an interview for BBC News 24's Hardtalk programme, Mr Trimble said a lack of progress on the issue of illegally held paramilitary arms could result in the Agreement having to be reviewed in the autumn.

The Ulster Unionist leader resigned as Northern Ireland first minister on 1 July because the IRA had not started to disarm.

However, Mr Trimble said he might have to accept that the 1998 peace accord - the template for Northern Ireland devolution - which he signed up to with most of Northern Ireland's other political parties, could not be implemented.

Obligations

He said: "My primary objective is to see this agreement implemented and fully implemented and that is the sole reason behind what I have been doing for the last few months.

"But there are obviously other possibilities in the situation, if it turns out that we can't implement it fully because the paramilitaries won't abide by their own obligations underneath it."

Following Mr Trimble's resignation, there were six weeks available to the parties to find a resolution by 12 August.

At the end of that period, if there has been no deal, the British Government will have to either suspend the assembly - even if only for a short period to give more room for manoeuvre - or call an assembly election.

The Hardtalk interview with David Trimble will be broadcast on BBC News 24 at 2230 BST on Monday.