Two hardline Ulster Unionist MPs today delivered a damaging blow to the Good Friday agreement when they announced they could no longer support the current efforts to sustain the power-sharing executive and Stormont assembly.
In a combative joint statement, the Lagan Valley MP and talks team member, Jeffrey Donaldson, and the South Antrim MP, David Burnside, called for a withdrawal of their party's support for the political institutions.
Appealing for a united front by all unionist parties, they also demanded fresh negotiations with the government to replace the Northern Ireland assembly and executive with "a new democratically accountable form of local administration".
With the British and Irish governments preparing a make-or-break package of proposals to sustain the agreement, expected tomorrow, the MPs signalled they were not prepared to "actively participate in discussions" which would ultimately lead to the destruction of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and which, they claimed, pandered to republicanism.
Stressing the need for a new peace process, Mr Donaldson and Mr Burnside said: "The so-called peace process has been stumbling on its last legs for some time.
"Unionists must break out of the present flawed institutions of a process which is a form of joint authority whose strategic direction is being directed by a pan-nationalist front of Sinn Fein/IRA, the SDLP and the southern Irish Fianna Fail government."
The statement by the two MPs is a further indication of the ongoing soul searching and divisions within unionism about how far they are prepared to accommodate republican demands. Both the MPs are further to the right than the Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble.
Mr Donaldson has in the past challenged for the leadership and the statement today increases pressure on Mr Trimble not to make any further moves that would be perceived as concessions to republicans.
Today's statement added: "Sinn Fein/IRA is not going to decommission. The pan-nationalist front's insatiable demands have already been acceded to by the weakening of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and is now directed at the total destruction of the morale and operational capability of the RUC to police Northern Ireland."
The unionist MPs called for an end to north-south institutions and said the only way forward was for all unionist parties to tell the British government they would no longer participate or negotiate with them and the Irish government.
Mr Burnside and Mr Donaldson continued: "We are no longer prepared to actively participate in discussions which are inevitably leading to the destruction of the Royal Ulster Constabulary which will leave the province, its people and mainland Britain open and defenceless against militant republicanism.
"The Sinn Fein tiger has already swallowed the SDLP. The south (of Ireland) and Fianna Fail is next."
Both MPs said the longer the peace process was allowed to continue in its present form the more it would undermine the union with Britain.
"We jointly and firmly believe that the differences and divisions within unionism of recent years must be put in the past and a determined effort must be made to unite unionism to plot a new, peaceful and democratic accountable path for the greater number of people in Northern Ireland.
"We will play our part with all other unionists in striving for new unity and a new direction," they concluded.
The comments were condemned by Sean Neeson, leader of the cross-community Alliance party, who insisted the Good Friday agreement was still "the only show in town".
"Their statement is very ill-timed bearing in mind the tensions out on the streets of Northern Ireland; it's not helpful to creating stability," he said.
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Useful links
RUC
Ulster Democratic party
Northern Ireland Office
Last International Commission on Decommissioning report
Northern Ireland assembly
Text of the Good Friday agreement