The IRA is today set to respond to Tony Blair's demand for disarmament.

Speaking last night, the prime minister warned that "crunch time" has come for the IRA.

He insisted that republicans could no longer be "half in, half out" of the peace process.

Blair told an audience in Northern Ireland that the threat of violence can play no part in democratic government.

The prime minister also claimed that as long as the IRA is in existence rebel unionists will continue to attempt to derail the peace process.

He said: "The fork in the road has finally come. Whatever guarantees we need to give that we will implement the Agreement, we will.

"Whatever commitment to the end we all want to see, of a normalised Northern Ireland, I will make.

"But we cannot carry on with the IRA half in, half out of this process.

"Not just because it isn't right any more. It won't work anymore."

The prime minister indicated it would take a "big bang" approach to end the current crisis, with possible moves to ensure there could be no further suspensions of the assembly coupled with the end of the IRA.