Mr Gerry Adams and six of his senior Sinn Fein colleagues will meet Mr Tony Blair in Downing Street tomorrow intent on concluding, according to the Sinn Fein president, "the unfinished business" of creating a united Ireland. Mr Adams and the party's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, referring to a new republican body whose spokeswoman is a sister of the IRA hunger-striker, Bobby Sands, insisted Sinn Fein had a mandate to engage in the Stormont talks on behalf of republicans.
Mr Adams, pondering the historical significance of his being the first Sinn Fein leader to meet a British prime minister in Downing Street since Michael Collins 75 years ago, said he was looking forward to trying to persuade Mr Blair of the need for Irish unity.
"This generation of Irish republicans has played a pivotal role in building this current opportunity for peace. Sinn Fein is determined to conclude the unfinished business of that period," he added.
Mr Adams said he believed he could "do business" with Mr Blair. Their meeting tomorrow afternoon would last about 40 minutes and rather than deal with the nitty-gritty of the talks process the emphasis would be on general principles.
"We are looking forward to outlining to the British Prime Minister why it is essential for Britain to end its constitutional claim to a part of our country, and why he must take a leadership role in helping create the conditions for a united Ireland," Mr Adams said at Stormont yesterday.
"It is 75 years since a previous generation of Irish republicans spoke to a British prime minister in London. The subsequent imposition of Partition failed to resolve the causes of conflict and resulted in almost eight decades of instability, injustice, an absence of democracy, oppression and intermittent conflict," he added.
Mr Adams said he was also travelling to Downing Street to listen to what Mr Blair had to say. Mr McGuinness and Mr Martin Ferris, a Kerry councillor who served a jail sentence for IRA gun-running, will accompany him.
The other members are the Sinn Fein general secretary, Ms Lucilita Bhreatnach, a ardcomhairle member, Ms Siobhan O'Hanlon, the head of the party's new London office, Ms Michelle Gildernew, and the press officer, Mr Richard McAuley.
Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness played down any suggestion of republican disunity following the establishment of the Thirty Two County Sovereignty Committee, whose vice-chairwoman, Ms Bernadette Sands McKevitt, is a sister of the IRA hunger-striker, Bobby Sands.
Mr McGuinness said he wished the new body well and supported its aspirations to a united Ireland, but by implication said the overwhelming majority of republicans supported Sinn Fein's involvement in the peace process.
He said he and Mr Adams, through the ballot box, had received a mandate from the people to pursue their peace process agenda. "They believed our peace strategy was the way forward," he added.
Mr Adams agreed "with a friend" who, on learning of the new body, said: "Isn't it a great pity that those who say they want a united Ireland are divided." Mr Adams added: "These people have a right to form any group."
Mr Adams also stressed that it was for Sinn Fein to negotiate on behalf of republicans. "We are mandated as republicans to negotiate, and to negotiate a democratic peace settlement on a republican agenda. Sin e. It's transparent. It's there for all to see," he added.
Meanwhile, the British and Irish governments and the parties to the talks will continue their efforts at Stormont today to clear the way for progress in the process. The special working group is meeting again today to create a document which identifies the key issues for future discussions and the format for these discussions.
It is expected that the deadline of Monday for agreement on this document may be put back until Tuesday to allow Northern Ireland MPs to attend the House of Commons on Monday for discussion of the new policing Bill.
Talks sources said yesterday there were still obstacles to overcome but they hoped agreement could be reached by Monday or Tuesday.
