The British Conservative Party has been criticised by the SDLP chief whip for not lending its full support to the Belfast Agreement despite the party's initial endorsement of the accord.
Mr Eddie McGrady said the alleged bipartisan approach adopted on the North by the Labour Party and the Tories is now of "fig-leaf proportions" and little real support is being given to the peace process by the official opposition.
"The speakers put up by the Tories in every Northern Ireland debate are totally anti-agreement, anti-change and therefore antipeace." Mr McGrady also highlighted the fact that Tory party representatives had not met SDLP members since taking up opposition, "in spite of a parliamentary undertaking to do so".
"The Tory Northern Ireland spokespersons visit Northern Ireland regularly, but never meet any political groupings, except unionist. How then can they have a broad understanding of the problems we face, both unionist and nationalist?" He said the Conservative Party conference beginning in Blackpool today would "again demonstrate firstly the low priority Northern Ireland really has now on their political agenda".