UKIP MLA David McNarry tells of new 'loyalist community council'

The loyalist paramilitary ceasefire was announced on 13 October 1994

UKIP MLA David McNarry says he has been working for 18 months on the launch of a new Loyalist Community Council, supported by the UDA, the UVF and the Red Hand Commando paramilitary groups.

The launch of the initiative will take place in east Belfast on Tuesday.

Tony Blair's former chief of staff Jonathan Powell is expected to attend.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr McNarry explained that Mr Powell had been persuaded to get involved because he felt loyalists had been left behind.

Encouraging them to demobilise was "unfinished work".

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Who are the UVF?

Mr McNarry said the joint declaration to be launched on Tuesday would spell out the loyalist position on criminality, education and the political process.

The UKIP MLA challenged the Provisional IRA to make a similar declaration of intent.

Questioned about whether this was an attempt by the loyalists to seek funding in order to behave lawfully, Mr McNarry pointed out that the initiative had been launched without any funding being on the table.

"The strength that I have found in working with them in this initiative is that this is going ahead without funding," he said.

Jonathan Powell was chief of staff to former Prime Minister Tony Blair

"There is no money on the table, yet the initiative is being launched. They are putting themselves out there in the cockpit of public opinion and they are driving this forward without any money."

The UKIP MLA said the initiative had taken so long to develop because the three paramilitary organisations had needed to consult their members. He said he was surprised to learn that their membership stood at "thousands of people".

Meanwhile, Mr Powell is expected to attend Tuesday's event which has been timed to coincide with the 21st anniversary of the loyalist ceasefire in October 1994.

On 13 October 1994, the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando announced they would "cease all operational hostilities".

The initiative has also been coordinated by former Ulster Unionist chair, David Campbell.