There has been a mixed reaction to the Northern Ireland Secretary's announcement that she will hold an unprecedented meeting with jailed loyalist paramilitaries in the Maze prison.

It has taken almost everyone in Northern Ireland by surprise and is being seen either as an act of great courage, or of desperation, or both.

The Protestant Ulster Democratic Party, which has links with the loyalist paramilitaries, welcomed the move, describing it as "a significant step".

But it has exposed the deep division among unionists, the majority community in Northern Ireland, who want to remain part of the United Kingdom.

David Trimble, the leader of the largest unionist party, the Ulster Unionists, welcomed the decision.

But the second largest unionist party, the Democratic Unionists, which is not taking part in the peace talks, described it as "madness."

Peter Robinson, the deputy leader of the DUP, said it was a risk that should that should not be taken.

Dr Mowlam had acknowledged it would be a difficult decision for many people to swallow but said she was ready to "take risks for peace".

Mr Robinson told the BBC: "If we get into a situation where the terrorists are going to continually ask for further and further concessions in order to have the silence of their guns, then I believe the peace is effectively over."

"We are effectively being run by terrorists who are making their demands of the Government and we have a government that seems prepared to toady to them," he added.

On the other side of the sectarian divide, Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA, said the Northern Ireland Secretary should speak to IRA prisoners in the Maze as well.

Tories "disappointed"

There was a muted response from the opposition Conservative Party.

The Shadow Home Secretary and former Northern Ireland minister Sir Brian Mawhinney said he was "disappointed" by Ms Mowlam's decision, although the Tories would continue the bipartisan approach to the talks process.

Mawhinney: Senses "a whiff of last cards"

"People of goodwill in Northern Ireland and in the UK give great latitude to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whoever he or she is, because they recognise the difficulties of the job and the goodwill and good intentions of the Government of whatever hue," he said.

"Having said all that, I think people will be very surprised indeed and many will feel there is a whiff of last cards being played here."

He did not know if her decision was wrong, as he was not party to her discussions but he did not doubt it would provoke heated public debate.

"People will wonder what she is likely to achieve talking face to face with convicted terrorists that she could not achieve by talking to their political representatives," he said.

"On the whole, I think she should be talking to the political representatives and not to the terrorists themselves."
 

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