Both pro- and anti-agreement unionists have rejected Mr Gerry Adams's statement on the Provisional IRA's willingness to decommission and end activities inconsistent with the Belfast Agreement.
The Ulster Unionist Party said the speech was not enough to move the peace process forward. "Republicans billed up this statement into something that had the capacity to unlock the deadlock. In the end, it failed to live up to its billing. It falls short of what is required," a UUP spokesman said.
It was still only a statement from Mr Adams, and not the Provisional IRA, he added. In terms of the three questions posed to the IRA by Mr Blair, there had been no further progress. The Sinn Féin president's speech did not provide any basis on which the suspension of the North's Executive could be lifted.
The DUP also rejected Mr Adams's statement. The party's deputy leader, Mr Peter Robinson, said it was now clear that the negotiations over the last two months to save the Belfast Agreement would not have resulted in acts of completion. The only offer on the table was words from the Provisional IRA, he said.
"Gerry Adams's statement shows Tony Blair has misled the people of the United Kingdom about this process being all about acts of completion.
"It is clear all we were going to be asked was to take the IRA's word for it, and that would not have been sufficient for unionists. It makes it difficult for the government now to postpone the elections and it has given us an insight into the degree of choreography in this process."
The DUP Assembly member, Mr Ian Paisley jnr, dismissed Mr Adams's speech as "pointless piffle" and "another nail in the coffin of the Belfast Agreement." He also criticised the British government. "The Prime Minister promised the world he would be seeking acts of completion," he said. "What Adams provided wasn't even words of completion. Adams described the IRA as having good intentions. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. It's not words that count, it's actions."
The UK Unionist leader, Mr Bob McCartney, also rejected Mr Adams's statement. "All that is on offer is a third charade of decommissioning on exactly the same terms as the last two," he said. "There will be no public verification of the decommissioning act apart from that by the international arms body headed by Gen de Chastelain. Unionists don't trust that body, and Gen de Chastelain never gives any significant details of decommissioning to verify the process anyway."
Mr McCartney said yesterday's statement was worthless because it was "only from Gerry Adams - we are not even getting words from the IRA itself".
He wasn't surprised the two governments had welcomed the statement. "They would welcome anything. We have had plenty of vague and nebulous statements like this before and they have all been completely useless," Mr McCartney said.
The Alliance leader, Mr David Ford, said republicans needed to go further. A third act of decommissioning was "a small move in the right direction", but five years after the signing of the Belfast Agreement, it was not enough. Broader acts of completion were necessary, he said.
"This entails an act of decommissioning that encapsulates the bulk of remaining arms and explosives, an end to targeting, paramilitary attacks, exiling, attempts to control communities through intimidation and force and a renunciation of the use of violence for any purpose.
"Republicans can no longer fudge the issue. Democracy and violence do not mix. A firm choice has to be made."
Ms Monica McWilliams of the Women's Coalition described Mr Adams's speech as "useful" but called for the release of the Provisional IRA statement.
"It is significant that Gerry Adams said the IRA is working to put all its arms beyond use and that he talked about an end to physical-force republicanism.
"There is still enough room in this process for us all keep working," Ms McWilliams said.
