'Give up guns for peace'

A flag was produced to assert the Tories commitment to the union

The Conservative conference has called for the decommissioning of paramilitary weapons to be at the forefront of the Northern Ireland peace process.

The party's Northern Ireland spokesman, Andrew Mackay, backed the conference motion urging paramilitary organisations to show their commitment to peace by handing over their weapons.

Delegates also expressed their concern over the early release of paramilitary prisoners under the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mackay: Give up guns and semtex

Mr Mackay said: "The Conservative and Unionist party will continue to uphold the Belfast agreement but reasonable law abiding people, myself included, are not prepared to see the further early release of terrorist murderers and Sinn Fein taking ministerial positions when not one gun or one ounce of semtex has been decommissioned."

He told the Bournemouth conference that no issue was more important to the Conservative party than Northern Ireland.

The party strongly backed the Good Friday Agreement as a chance for real and lasting peace.

But he still felt sickened watching the early release of prisoners "convicted for unspeakable acts".

Mr Mackay said: "There can be no compromise between democracy and terrorism."

The shadow secretary of state said the Conservatives were committed to preserving the union and a united Ireland would only ever be achieved through consent on both sides of the border.

It was a message which had been heard earlier in the debate.

Delegate John Strafford, vice-president of the Northern Ireland Conservative Area Council, produced a union flag to drape across the conference podium as he spoke.

He said: "This is my flag, this is our nation's flag

"This flag which bears the blood who have died for our nation, and the tears of those who cried for their loved ones who gave their lives for this nation.

Decommissioning must be at the heart of peace

"This flag was created in 1801 to celebrate the union of Ireland into the United Kingdom and as we approach the 200th anniversary of that union it's time we governed Northern Ireland like other parts of the United Kingdom."

But the motion was opposed by delegate Doreen Jansen, who asked the conference not to concentrate on the single issue of decommissioning.

Paul Steward, a 23-year-old delegate from east Antrim, received a partial standing ovation for his heartfelt plea in support of the motion on decommissioning.

He said: "Enough is enough, we've been bombed, we've been harassed, we've been beaten for 30 years."

Like Mr Mackay, delegates were also critical of the government's attitude to decommissioning.

David Platt said Tony Blair had gone "wobbly" on the issue.

His message to the paramilitaries was: "If you want to govern, give up the gun."