THERE was a reference at yesterday's Sinn Fein rally in Belfast to the "monster of British imperialism". It's a lot less diplomatic than the language we've been hearing from republican spokesmen in recent years.
If British imperialism is a monster, what does that make Dr Mo Mowlam? Instead of arriving like a dragon breathing fire she began her stint in Belfast with a walk about, stopping to pick up a microphone dropped by a reporter and asking for a bite from a punter's apple.
Whatever about monsters, it, is difficult to imagine the patrician Sir Patrick Mayhew behaving in such a manner. Sinn Fein sources are already drawing encouragement from the contrast between the two, because Sir Patrick, as far as they were concerned, had a completely colonial mindset.
George Orwell used to say that British socialists were the worst imperialists of the lot. So is New Labour any different?
Sinn Fein has certainly been striking a hopeful note for some months now that the leopard has changed its spots. Republican sources at yesterday's rally were impressed by the speed with which Dr Mowlam was appointed.
She flew to the North almost immediately: the fledgling proconsul was devoting yesterday and today to official briefings at the official residence of the Secretary of State in Hillsborough Castle.
As well as doing her folksy bit in downtown Belfast, Dr Mowlam issued a statement outlining her intentions and aspirations. In content, much of it was "motherhood and apple pie" but there was meat there, too, and she was clearly anxious to put her individual stamp on the job right away.
She said Labour in government would listen to the people and politicians of Northern Ireland. One might point out that in a polity which includes the likes of the Rev Ian Paisley she really wouldn't have much option.
Dr Mowlam said she looked forward to the Conservative opposition's adhering to the bipartisan approach on Northern Ireland, just as Labour had done in the past. She must know that even with a huge majority, vociferous prounionist noises from the Tory benches could well make Labour nervous.
She said that, although expectations might be low, the resumption of the multi party talks on June 3rd was "highly significant". No doubt she is aware that if a general election took place in the Republic in the near future, the opening of the talks would be a mere formality and might even have to be postponed.
Even if the talks did get going on June 3rd, they could hardly continue until Drumcree III in early July, not to mention the Twelfth of July. The reality is that real political dialogue is unlikely to begin until September.
Whenever the talks do start, are we going to see a Groundhog Day rerun of last year, with Gerry Adams leading his troops up to the gates of Castle Buildings at Stormont and then out again?
As long as the focus remains on all party inclusive talks without Sinn Fein, these discussions will not, in Mr Fergus Finlay's phrase be worth a penny candle. If there was a policy of concentrating on the "centre" parties it might be a different story, although the nationalist middle ground has been eroded significantly by the election result.
For her part, Dr Mowlam says she wants Sinn Fein to join the talks, but only if there is "an unequivocal restoration of the IRA ceasefire, demonstrated in words and deeds". She must know that to bring a ceasefire about will require some "words and deeds" of her own.
She outlined a preliminary list of these confidence building measures in her weekend statement, saying that the government would be taking initiatives to reform policing and ensure equality in employment.
There was immediate and predictable negative reaction on the policing issue. Dr Paisley expressed concern that Dr Mowlam might want to remove the prefix "Royal" from the RUC.
Mr Ken Maginnis also wanted clarification of her intentions. The former security minister for the North, Sir John Wheeler, warned her to "maintain high morale and confidence" among the police.
But she was sending the right signal as far as the nationalist community was concerned. Her undertaking on fair employment will also go down well in the aftermath of the so called Denton Affair, which generated considerable bitterness and cynicism among nationalists.
Some unionists have been wondering privately if Dr Mowlam has the Right Stuff for the highly demanding job she has undertaken. The marching season will give her a chance to show if she has the political skill and courage required for her highly challenging assignment. Nationalists, too, will he watching to see if she will stand firm or, like the last Labour administration, collapse ingloriously in the face of militant loyalism and unionism.
Her weekend statement spoke of her determination to work with others to ease tensions and "uphold the rule of law". The recommendations of the North Report would be implemented "with care and sensitivity" and she appealed to "everyone with any influence" to use their good offices to defuse the situation.
When the big battalions arrive at Drumcree, when the mechanical diggers are being driven up to the checkpoint, when police officers hear their wives and children being threatened by name, when all about her are losing their heads and blaming it on Mo Mowlam, then we will have a chance to see what New Labour's new Secretary of State and the new Prime Minister behind her - are really made of.