MR Tony Blair is believed to be preparing a major statement outlining his approach to future political developments in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the IRA murders of two RUC officers.
And he has signalled a hardening of British attitudes by endorsing Ulster Unionist Party charges that Sinn Fein/IRA" have shown themselves "to be ruthless killers and politically irredeemable".
Number 10 Downing Street last night refused to confirm that a statement was planned, but other sources suggested the Prime Minister could make his statement in the Commons as early as this afternoon, before the G7 summit in Denver where he will discuss the North with President Clinton.
The Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, is expected to brief the Cabinet today on the worsening political and security situation and on her discussions aimed at averting a crisis over the planned Orange parade at Drumcree. British sources yesterday said they had no knowledge of suggestions circulating in unionist circles that members of the Parades Commission have signalled their likely recommendation that the parade should proceed.
The anticipated prime ministerial statement has had an "on off" status since Dr Mowlam first flagged it in Manchester on Sunday. Northern Ireland Office sources at first pointed to today and subsequently withdrew that advice. Amid suggestions, again denied, that Dr Mowlam was returning to London for crisis talks" with Mr Blair, the proposed statement reappeared on the political radar last night.
However it seems clear that the Lurgan killings, and separate developments in the Stormont talks, will have changed its nature and content. That could explain the apparent uncertainty about its timing.
It is believed Mr Blair is planning to place the content of exchanges between British officials and Sinn Fein into the public domain, not least to alleviate any public suspicions about the nature of the discussions. However, postLurgan, it is not clear how far the government will go to detail the timescale it had been seeking, to establish for Sinn Fein's entry into negotiations after any new IRA ceasefire. The Irish Times understands the government was working toward Sinn Fein's entry into talks after a period of just six weeks.
The British government had also hoped to define its proposed timetable for the talks process overall, and to secure an agreement with Mr David Trimble, the Ulster Unionist Party leader, to remove the "decommissioning" roadblock and guarantee the speedy start of "substantive" negotiations.
Sources in London and Dublin confirmed that decommissioning would swiftly lose its relevance if the two governments decided, in the absence of a reliable ceasefire, they had no option but to push ahead with the political process without Sinn Fein.
And while British sources denied any change in policy, or an abandonment of the search for an inclusive" process, Mr Blair's words yesterday repeated the strong threat that the so called peace train is set to leave without Sinn Fein.
Mr Ken Maginnis MP told Mr Blair that "Sinn Fein/IRA" perversely exploited attempts by him self, Mr John Major and President Clinton to encourage a sincere political process. And he asked: "Is he determined that such cruel mockery now necessitates this his proverbial peace train leave the station without Sinn Fein/IRA who have again and again and again shown themselves to, be ruthless killers and politically irredeemable?"
Mr Blair replied: "It was a wicked and callous act and I agree precisely with the sentiments that he (Mr Maginnis) expressed in respect of Sinn Fein/IRA."
. Speaking in New York yesterday at a lunch hosted by the American Committee on Foreign Policy, Mr Trimble said on the issue of decommissioning: "I don't think it is possible as things stand at the moment to actually get a resolution of that issue that all the parties can agree to. On the other hand, it's not necessary to agree as of now. So I say let's pigeonhole it and if it becomes necessary or relevant at a future point we'll come back to it then. But if we pigeon hole it now then there is absolutely no obstacle to entering into substantive negotiations."