Major breached faith with Taoiseach on election plan

A SERIOUS breach of faith surrounded Mr John Major's announcement that elections in Northern Ireland are the new precondition for Sinn Fein's entry to all party talks, it emerged last night.

Government sources confirmed that the British Prime Minister told the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, on Tuesday night that he would make sure Sir Patrick Mayhew or his deputy, Mr Michael Ancram, "would take the Irish side through any House of Commons statement that he, or they, would make before it was made". This undertaking was not honoured.

The text of Mr Major's statement, offering elections as the only alternative to an arms decommissioning gesture, was not sent to the Government until about 30 minutes before he delivered it in the Commons. Efforts by Irish officials to change it at that late stage failed.

It was also confirmed that Mr Major wrote a letter to Mr Bruton yesterday afternoon attempting to reassure him that he wanted an elective process that would come within the terms of the decommissioning body's report. The Mitchell commission suggested that an election to a body should be "broadly acceptable, with an appropriate mandate and within the three strand structure".

The Taoiseach and the Tanaiste, who are abroad, were said to be warily studying its contents last night with a view to seeking a long process of exchanges about Mr Major's ultimate intentions.

As the Anglo Irish recriminations reflected the deepening crisis in the peace process, it also emerged that Government officials had raised "serious concerns" about Mr Major's response to the Mitchell report with 10 Downing Street shortly after he had delivered it on Wednesday afternoon.

Government sources also took the unusual step of revealing the Irish content of the 35 minute conversation on Tuesday night between Mr Major and Mr. Bruton, prior to the publication of the Mitchell report.

In his conversation with the Prime Minister, Mr Bruton reiterated that the end of February was the firm date for the start of all party talks. He said the question of an election would be something that would flow from all party talks and "that an election would not be the way to start all party talks".

The Taoiseach also made it clear that any proposal for "a negotiated arrangement" would have to be one in which all relevant parties would take part. He stated further that it was his view that nothing should be said or announced that "faced any party with a proposal which they felt they had to reject immediately".

Government sources are adamant that nothing was agreed in the conversation, and that the Prime Minister told the Taoiseach he would make sure Sir Patrick or Mr Ancram would take the Irish side through any House of Commons statement that they, or he, would make before it was made. This was not done.

It is understood Mr Bruton and the Tanaiste, Mr Spring, were so alarmed and dismayed by Mr Major's breach of faith they deliberately downs played the snub in its immediate aftermath.

The details of the Irish side of the conversation between Mr Bruton and Mr Major, however, is bound to raise new questions from Fianna Fail in the Dail next week. It would appear, from one side of the exchanges, that Mr Major must have raised the prospect of elections to an assembly type body for Mr Bruton to respond that "an election would not be the way to start all party talks".

Following initial contact at official level yesterday, Mr Spring is expected to have a meeting with Mr Mayhew early next week.