British Prime Minister Tony Blair would be making one of the biggest "blunders" of his career if he decided to throw Sinn Fein ministers out of Northern Ireland's Executive, it was claimed today.
Sinn Fein's Mr Martin McGuinness, who is Education Minister in the power-sharing administration called on the Prime Minister to withstand pressure from unionists to impose sanctions on republicans.
"I think we could be on the threshold of seeing Tony Blair making what could possibly be the biggest mistake that he has made in the course of this peace process," he said.
After crisis talks at Hillsborough Castle last week, Mr Blair pledged to make a statement on the issue before Parliament rose for the summer on July 24th.
The Prime Minister and his officials are believed to be working on a plan to address the crisis of confidence in unionism.
Unionist leaders are demanding sanctions for what they regard as a series of breaches of the IRA ceasefire, including alleged terrorist activity in Colombia, the break-in at a Special Branch Office in Belfast and orchestration of sectarian violence.
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Inside Politicsprogramme, Mr McGuinness said the Prime Minister had no basis for excluding him or Sinn Fein Health Minister Ms Bairbre de Brun from the Executive.
"I think it would be a terrible indictment of all of those within the rejectionist unionist camp and those elements within the British military establishment opposed to this peace process if they were to have their way," he said.
But hardline UUP MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson said if the British government did not deliver, his party would be forced to take action to exclude Sinn Fein.
He said that First Minster David Trimble's future as leader would rest on whether he went ahead with his threat to resign as First Minister.
With new Assembly elections due next May, Mr Donaldson said that Ulster Unionists would suffer at the polls if it continued in government with republicans.
"Quite clearly if we continue with this situation where we are sitting in government with Sinn Fein/IRA and the IRA are engaging in acts of violence, then the electorate are going to have a response.
"People are fed up with the way the IRA are playing fast and loose with the peace process and they expect their leaders to deal with that problem.
"If we fail to deal with that problem there will be electoral consequences," he added.
PA