Long-distance peace message

The British Government and Sinn Fein have struck up a long-distance public dialogue as the Northern Ireland Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, responded directly yesterday to a speech given by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness on Thursday.

Sir Patrick stood firm on the Government's line that any new cessation should be unequivocal, but he endorsed Mr McGuinness's insistence that all involved in the process should act "with imagination, honesty and flexibility."