David Ervine: Unhappy at talks direction

However, he said his party still supported the Good Friday Agreement and he was "not trying to influence the status of any ceasefire".

"We are absolutely committed to dialogue as the only way forward. We believe that negotiation and the negotiative process is the only way to deliver for society," he said.

Mr Ervine said that his party was unhappy about the way the British Government was handling the talks aimed at breaking the political impasse in Northern Ireland.

He said: "The process is structured with the ever-growing republican shopping list on one side being played against the British government.

"The government's blind panic in trying to instill unionist confidence is there for all to see.

"In order to instill unionist confidence the government parleys with the Provos.

"The IRA behaves minimalistly. That further infuriates the unionists, who see the Provos gaining, while giving nothing."

'Price to pay'

Mr Ervine added that the PUP could not continue to be party to the talks if it did not know what was being agreed by the Ulster Unionists, Sinn Fein and the SDLP behind closed doors.

Billy Hutchinson: "PUP executive will decide our next step"

The PUP, Alliance Party, Ulster Democratic Party and Women's Coalition are not expected to be invited back to the talks unless there is the prospect of a deal between the main pro-Agreement parties.

"If I don't know the price of progress, then I can't agree to pay it," Mr Ervine said.

Speaking after the two governments held round table talks with all of the pro-Agreement parties on Monday afternoon, Billy Hutchinson said they could not get the answers they needed.

"We went to the discussions today to find out if Sinn Fein was real and the IRA was real in this process, and whether they wanted to continue.

"Obviously we didn't get any answers."