The British government faced anger from both sides of the House of Commons yesterday as it tried to speed through Northern Ireland legislation.
The Northern Secretary, Mr Paul Murphy, said the Bill contained confidence-building measures designed to bring about elections and the restoration of devolved government.
But a series of MPs from both sides of the Commons rose to accuse ministers of "railroading" the Northern Ireland (Monitoring Commission) Bill through the House.
Mr Quentin Davies, for the Tories, said the parliamentary system was "being made a mockery of by an arrogant government".
"The opposition reject absolutely and with passion this government's pattern of imposing automatic timetables on all Bills."
Labour's Mr Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock) said: "It's a travesty that we are being asked to rubber-stamp this legislation this afternoon."
The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, attacked the timetabling of the Bill, saying: "The people of Northern Ireland are again being treated in a disgraceful manner. This legislation proposes to allow another sovereign state to have an unprecedented say in the internal affairs of the Northern Ireland Assembly." Most of its measures, he said, were directed against his party.
The timetable motion was carried by 243 votes to 21.
Opening the second reading debate, Mr Murphy said the Bill was an "essential step along the road towards . . . elections, leading to the restoration of devolution" in the province.
The IMC will have powers to deal with departures from the commitment to using purely peaceful and democratic means.
It was almost a year since devolved government was suspended and the "gains" of devolution risked being lost unless it was restored in the near future.
Mr Lembit Opik, for the Liberal Democrats, said: "There is a danger of railroading this House and other parties concerned about this legislation."
- (PA)