The UK Unionist Party leader, Mr Robert McCartney, has said the constitutional question should be "taken off the board" in Northern Ireland for a time and there should be "a moratorium on the emphasis on unity and the Union".
Efforts should be concentrated instead on finding a system which afforded better and more accountable government "for the decent people right across the whole spectrum", he told his party's annual conference. This would require that the security of the people against terrorism be dealt with as a security matter.
Mr McCartney was responding to a question from a delegate asking what should be put in the place of "the so-called peace process" if it were destroyed. He said new institutions would be created by democratic agreement and "not at the point of terrorist dictation".
He favoured "a modest proposal", adding: "We should be attempting to give back to local, accountable government those areas which impinge most directly upon our daily living - education, health and social administration within the community."
He envisaged enlarging and possibly streamlining the powers of local government. This would be accompanied with "some institutions for ensuring that equality of citizenship is actually carried out by these bodies", and might include a bill of rights or some form of judicial review procedure.
By starting with these modest beginnings and by working together at this level of government administration, "it may be that we can create that trust that these rotten confidence-building measures being put forward by the government are singularly failing to deliver".
On relations with the Republic, Mr McCartney said if there was any area of commercial or other activity which would be improved in mutual benefit, then "let's get on with it on a good neighbourly basis". He cited the energy and tourism sectors.
A motion was passed that party associations be set up in all the parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland. Mr McCartney said these groups would start working immediately to ensure a referendum on the outcome of the peace process was defeated.
Earlier, Conservative Party MP Mr Andrew Hunter addressed the conference as a guest speaker, giving what he termed "a personal view" of the peace process. He said the direction and emphasis of the Labour government's policies were "at the very least straining the bipartisan approach".
In key respects, Labour had departed from the Conservatives' interpretation of the principles of the Downing Street Declaration. "The gap between the two parties is widening and seems likely to grow even wider," he added.
Party secretary Mr Tom Sheridan closed the conference by saying the UK Unionist Party aimed to be "the largest unionist party with principles". He paid tribute to the RUC and the conference ended with the singing of the British national anthem.