What the papers say

Journalist Mike Philpott reviews Friday's morning newspapers.

"Off their rockers," says the main headline in the Sun, as the paper borrows Sean Neeson's description of the Ulster Unionist MPs Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside.

That decision by the two MPs to withdraw their support for the latest political package is regarded by many papers as a severe jolt to the peace process.

The News Letter says it is facing its greatest crisis yet.

In a leader, the paper accuses the MPs of re-opening old wounds and divisions at a time when cooler heads are needed.

Having said that, it attacks the Irish Government for engaging in further talks with Sinn Fein when everyone thought the package was done and dusted.

Decommissioning

Everyone knows that republicans did not travel to Dublin yesterday to pass the time of day, says the paper, and unionists are right to be deeply concerned.

If Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside are right, and the IRA is not going to decommission, it's difficult to see how the current arrangements can survive, it says.

The Irish News believes the intervention by the two MPs will serve only to bolster the DUP.

The paper blames the leaking of selected information about what the package contains.

This drip-feed of information has allowed some politicians to base their reaction on the bits they don't like, it says, and making the document public would allow people to make up their own minds.

Package

It concludes that this is a time for leadership, not political point scoring.

Gerry Moriarty, the Northern editor of the Irish Times, writes that Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair are facing respective ultimatums from Sinn Fein and the Ulster Unionists, and one side or the other will walk away if the package doesn't meet its requirements.

He says the two governments are engaged in some last-minute microsurgery to save their ailing patient.

The Irish Independent says further pressure is being piled onto the peace process, and it is not sure if it can take the weight.

Songbooks

Sir Paul McCartney's announcement of his engagement to Heather Mills gives the headline writers an excuse to flick through their Beatles songbooks.

The Mirror recalls the moment when they met at a fashion show and Sir Paul "saw her standing there".

The Express goes for the tried and tested "all you need is love".

And the Mail talks of the long and winding road to the ex-Beatle's heart.

The Times reports that the couple marked their engagement with a sapphire and diamond ring which Sir Paul had bought in India.

And the Independent predicts that the news will send lifestyle magazines scurrying for their chequebooks to try to secure exclusive coverage of an event already linked in as the wedding of 2002.

Prince Philip and John Prescott both find themselves in the headlines for the wrong reasons this morning - the prince because he told a schoolboy that he was too fat to be an astronaut.

And the deputy prime minister because his Jaguar blocked a disabled parking bay outside his favourite Chinese restaurant.

The Telegraph reports that when an orange badge-holder arrived and wanted to use the space, his wife joked that the Jag might belong to Mr Prescott.

The Times says his gaffe would have been bad enough at any other time, but it coincides with a campaign to prevent people blocking disabled spaces.