The moment is ripe for the brave

When the rest of the United Kingdom was coming to terms with new Labour's election landslide, Northern Ireland seemed, as usual, outside the event. In Britain, we cheered or mourned. The province merely watched. Its bitter history of sectarianism and violence, producing different parties and provoking direct rule, has exiled it from mainstream politics - Britain's neglected half-sister.

John Major tried to make amends, expending a lot of personal attention and hard work in the early stages of the peace process. But by the end of his government, its exhaustion and weakness meant that Downing Street had become part of the problem. Major simply wasn't strong enough to give Northern Ireland the attention it needed.

Now Tony Blair is, in effect, offering to use the optimism and momentum generated by his victory to unblock the peace process and start again. The vigour which has been coursing through Whitehall this past fortnight is on offer for Northern Ireland too.

It is an unexpected gift. Can the new start for British politics be a new start for the politics of Irish peace? Certainly, Blair is using his personal authority to crack whips and issue crisp challenges, to the Unionists as well as to Sinn Fein and the IRA. His authority is great: he carries no baggage and has an unassailable majority; he owes nothing to any of the Northern Irish parties, and they all know they must deal with him for the next five years at least.

Above all, the moment is ripe. Among republicans, the distaste for a return to violence has been palpable, despite their almost equally strong frustration at the lack of any breakthrough. Sinn Fein's support in its community was proved in the election; given the rhetoric of the campaign, its votes must be counted as votes for talking, not bombing.

So the challenge now is for the IRA. It must allow Sinn Fein to join the talks, giving the people whose allegiance it claims a chance to help shape a better future. To do that, it must call a full, permanent ceasefire. This is the moment.

Are the Provos brave enough to seize it?