Blair, Ahern gave in to Sinn Fein demands

Seamus Mallon, an architect of the Good Friday agreement, says Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern shut out moderate voices while giving in to the demands of the extremists because they were obsessed with the "peace process."

"They catered for the latest begging bowl," he said. "If you look at all the side deals, the lesson Sinn Fein got from Blair and Bertie Ahern was the more often you ask, the more often you get."

Sinn Fein "damn well near lived in Downing Street", giving the electorate the message that "these are the people we should support because they are the people doing the deals".

By comparison, on one occasion the SDLP delegation was actually left standing outside the Downing Street door.