Ulster Unionists and Conservatives suffered a triple defeat at Westminster last night as the House of Lords gave the Police (Northern Ireland) Bill its Third Reading.
The government successfully faced down Ulster Unionist calls for a "moratorium" on the Patten policing reforms pending the full cessation of terrorism in Northern Ireland, and a challenge, led by former Ulster Unionist leader, Lord Molyneaux, to the proposed 50/50 recruitment of Protestants and Catholics to the new Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Labour and Liberal Democrat peers also rejected a Conservative proposal that the new service should retain the Royal Ulster Constabulary's existing capbadge, incorporating the harp, crown and shamrock.
Lord Molyneaux came close to inflicting an embarrassing defeat on the government, losing his amendment on 50/50 recruitment by 185 votes to 175. However, the government in turn defeated the Tory amendment on the emblems for the new service by 192 to 174, a majority of 18. And the Tory fight appeared to have evaporated as the government defeated the "moratorium" call by 179 votes to 119, a majority of 60.
With the Third Reading subsequently approved without a formal division, the way was cleared for the Police Bill to complete its remaining stages in the Commons and become law by the end of the month.
The British government last night confirmed that December 4th remains its deadline for nomination of political representatives - to be drawn from the four parties represented in the Northern Ireland Executive - to the new Policing Board, scheduled to begin its operation in "shadow" form in early January.
The Northern Ireland Office corrected its earlier suggestion, reported in yesterday's Irish Times, that the deadline for party political nominations might be extended to give the SDLP and other parties time to consider the final shape of the Police Bill once it becomes law.
London will obviously be hoping the completion of the Bill will increase pressure on the SDLP leadership to agree to nominate members to the Policing Board.
However, there is also uncertainty in both capitals as to how an SDLP refusal to proceed to nominate in the short term would affect the position of the First Minister and Ulster Unionist leader, Mr David Trimble. That will not have been eased by a withering attack on the government by Mr Trimble's close ally, the Ulster Unionist chairman, Lord Rogan, during the debate.
Lord Rogan said the Blair government had "demonstrated it has no respect for the RUC", telling peers the RUC emblem was inscribed on headstones in cemeteries across Northern Ireland, adding: "Not even the Patten report or this cowardly government can remove it from them.".