The Government has repeated that RUC reform plans are not yet sufficient for nationalists to be encouraged to join, despite a British warning that this stance could lead to all planned policing changes being put on hold.
It follows a report in this newspaper yesterday that a warning had emerged from Whitehall to the effect that RUC reform could be put on ice if the SDLP did not quickly endorse the alternative Police Service of Northern Ireland.
A Government spokesman said last night its position was the same as that of the two nationalist parties in Northern Ireland. "We have to get to a position where we feel we can recommend to young nationalists and republicans that they join a new police force. The Government feels that we have not reached that position yet." The warning emphasised that the first casualties of such freezing of the reform process would be the planned 50-50 Protestant-Catholic recruitment for the new service. It also suggested the old RUC name would continue to be used.
However, the Government indicated last night that its stance would not change. The SDLP and Sinn Fein, backed by the Government, have withheld endorsement of the proposed force pending the resolution of several issues.
A Government spokesman said he could not speak for the SDLP, but that the endorsement of the two nationalist parties in the North was important to the success of a reformed police force. The Government agreed that the position had not been reached where the two nationalist parties in the North could give such endorsement, he said.
Government sources have said they see little prospect of an unambiguous nationalist endorsement of the reform process in the short term, and appear to be seeking means of proceeding with conditional nationalist acquiescence. The SDLP's justice spokesman, Mr Alex Atwood, called on the British government to address the concerns of nationalists. He said he was referring to inquiries into security activities in the past, the implementation of policing change and is sues arising from the Police Act.