"When challenged by Belfast Telegraph journalist Sam McBride about revelations in released Government papers dating back to the early noughties about talks taking place at that time between leading DUP figures and Sinn Fein, the party hid behind the statement that ‘the DUP did not authorise any meetings with Sinn Fein before March 2007.

"These are weasel words. Do they take the people of Northern Ireland for fools? Are we to believe that leading members of that party, including MPs, were all acting alone and unknown to each other for at least 5 years? Of course not.

"When the Rev Harold Good claimed that he had facilitated talks between Martin McGuinness and Jeffrey Donaldson around that time, there were sceptics out there who didn’t believe that such talks could have taken place because of frequent and strident denials from the DUP. The Government papers back up Rev Good’s assertion.

"Lies were repeatedly told on an industrial scale by leading DUP figures after the leading figure. Party Officers, MPs and other officials. No lightweights, nobody who could be said to be at the margins of the party. The top brass was involved.

"While these talks and back channels were taking place with Sinn Fein, the DUP was launching attack after attack on the Ulster Unionist Party, and David Trimble in particular. That we had talked to Sinn Fein during the Mitchell Talks process was open and in public – the electorate knew that, but what the electorate did not know was that a process was going on between Sinn Fein and the DUP behind their backs, despite repeated denials that it was happening. It’s absolutely disgusting.

"When I think of the abuse colleagues had to endure, especially David Trimble, the question has to be asked about the integrity of a party whose leading members were engaged in such a deception and who still fail to own up to what they did at that time.

"I challenge those DUP members who were involved in or knew about contacts with Sinn Fein, while denying their involvement, to identify themselves. At least that would protect those DUP members who were not involved.

"The other revelation in the released papers is the attitude towards Dr Ian Paisley displayed by some senior colleagues. He was seen as a Leader losing control of his party and someone who had to be managed and even flattered! It is a fact that but for Dr Paisley, most of his party colleagues would never have been heard tell of!

"Such a serious deception and lies on top of lies cannot be allowed to go without somebody being made accountable. Sadly, we saw last year similar characteristics being displayed by the DUP concerning the restoration of Stormont. Many of the claims and promises made then have now been revealed as totally untrue. Again, weasel words were trotted out by the party– ‘we may have oversold the deal’ – it was certainly oversold, and the people again were deceived by the DUP."

ENDS