Adams accuses Major of stalling the peace process

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams last night accused the Prime Minister of stalling the Northern Ireland peace process and avoiding the fundamental political and constitutional changes required for a lasting settlement.

Arriving to a standing ovation from 500 supporters in a packed Mansion House in Dublin, Mr Adams said the only real threat to the peace process 'was from the British Government's consistent failure' to act positively. He criticised Mr Major's Irish policy as one of 'crisis management'.

Last Friday's proposal by Mr Major of a new Stormont assembly was an example of British 'distractions and diversions', he claimed, and was 'absolutely unacceptable to nationalists'. Mr Adams said it was now widely accepted, even by elements of the political establishment in Britain, that there could be no internal solution.

All core issues had to be on the table for discussion, he said, and London 'must not be permitted to prevent this'. The Irish Government's forum for peace and reconciliation, which holds its first session in Dublin today, was 'evidence of Dublin's commitment to resolve the core issues'.