Trimble may face 'no confidence' vote

'No confidence' motion tabled days before party conference

The anti-agreement Democratic Unionist Party has tabled a motion of no confidence in Northern Ireland First Minister David Trimble.

It was issued on Monday while the Ulster Unionist leader was in Bournemouth, attending the Conservative Party conference.

The motion reads: "This assembly has no confidence in the first minister".

The motion cannot succeed in unseating the minister as it does not have the support of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, however, it could prove embarrassing for Mr Trimble.

It will go before the assembly's business committee on Tuesday, which will decide if it will be debated on the floor of the assembly.

If it is accepted, the motion could be debated as early as 9 October.

The move comes days before the Ulster Unionist Party conference.

Peter Robinson: "Motion designed to isolate David Trimble"

In a statement, deputy leader of the DUP, Peter Robinson said: "The effect of the motion, if supported by a majority of unionists in the assembly, would be to leave David Trimble isolated and with few alternatives other than to resign.

"It will also give those Ulster Unionists who have been whispering treason in the corridors the opportunity to publicly express their private comments."

Mr Trimble has made no comment on the issue.

BBC NI political editor Stephen Grimason said that the motion appeared designed to "cash in" on any difficulties the Ulster Unionist leader might encounter at his party conference this weekend.

"It looks as though it's been put together to embarrass him rather than unseat him," he said.

"He is already in a unionist minority in the chamber."

Arms issue

Earlier, at a fringe meeting of the Tory party conference, Mr Trimble stepped up pressure on the IRA to make a new move on the arms issue.

He said the British Government had got itself into the "crazy" position of trying to persuade the IRA to do something that they were obligated to do without "concessions".

Mr Trimble warned Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson he should not assume there was "no bottom line" for unionists and said there could be "a very serious problem" unless progress was made on the issue.

He said Mr Mandelson might believe that moves towards demilitarisation in south Armagh, and the abandonment of extradition proceedings against paramilitary fugitives, were not connected to the weapons issue.

However, he added: "But his belief is not relevant to this ... I'm absolutely certain that republicans believe the actions were only taken because of their pressure and not only do republicans believe that, but I'm also sure that the greater number of people in Northern Ireland believe that.

We are prepared to go to some lengths to see this process work but we expect to see reciprocation and if there isn't that reciprocation there will be a very serious problem

David Trimble

"The secretary of state had got himself into a situation where he has created the impression amongst republicans that after so many months they can just come back and pass go, like on a Monopoly board.

"This is a crazy position for any government to get itself in.

"The government needs to extricate itself from this as soon as possible.

"What they should say to republicans is very simply: You have given an unqualified promise, you carry out that promise, we will not do anything to induce you to carry out a promise you have made."

Mr Trimble is facing his own party conference this weekend against the background of a poll defeat in the south Antrim by-election to the anti-agreement Democratic Unionist Party.

But he said the government "should not assume that there's no bottom line".

"Our position is we expect progress to be made," he said.

"We are prepared to go to some lengths to see this process work but we expect to see reciprocation and if there isn't that reciprocation there will be a very serious problem," he said.

'Difficult job'

On decommissioning and further inspections of republican arms dumps, Mr Trimble said: "I'm not in the business of issuing ultimata or putting down deadlines.

"I'm just observing, here we have two clear promises made.

"On one, nothing has been done about it and on the other the implementation of the promise has been delayed until some additional inducement has been made."

Meanwhile, Tory leader William Hague told the meeting that Mr Trimble had the "most difficult job in British politics".

He added that it was time for the government to listen to unionist concerns on decommissioning and policing.

"We are always calling on the government to listen in various ways but it's particularly important at this moment in the history of Northern Ireland for the government to listen - to listen to genuine concerns about the future of the RUC, about the decommissioning of illegally held weapons," he said.