Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Mr Seamus Mallon has accused the First Minister, Mr David Trimble, of being a "peddler of propaganda" amid allegations that both men threatened to resign over the handling of RUC reform.
The Ulster Unionist leader was quoted in the Irish News yesterday as saying that he "understood" Mr Mallon had threatened to resign his ministerial post over the policing issue.
The paper also quoted what it described as "Labour Party sources" as saying Mr Trimble had himself threatened to resign as First Minister over the issue of an RUC name change.
The SDLP was critical of the British government when it dropped an amendment to the Policing (NI) Bill, which would have deleted any reference to the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the title of the new force. Mr Mallon criticised the government during the House of Commons debate on Tuesday, saying the proposal to name the new force the "Police Service of Northern Ireland (incorporating the RUC)", risked alienating Catholics.
However, speaking on the BBC, he said the claim that he had threatened to resign over the issue was "outrageous". "There is absolutely no truth to that at all. And I find it remarkable that David Trimble should make that statement and allow himself to become the peddler of propaganda for those who obviously are trying to spin their way out of a very difficult situation in relation to the Police Bill.
"The statement that is carried from David Trimble [in the newspaper] seems to me absolutely outrageous and I am more than very surprised that he would allow himself to be used in this very malicious matter," he said. In a later statement issued by his office, the Deputy First Minister described the allegations as "scurrilous rumours".
"These stories only distract from the real issue which is the way that the government has failed to meet up to its obligation to implement [the] Patten [report]," Mr Mallon said.
Senior British government sources said that they were aware of the strong views expressed on both sides, but would not say specifically if Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Peter Mandelson had been told directly by Mr Trimble or Mr Mallon of a threat to resign from office.
The First Minister was not available for comment on the issue.
The DUP Executive Minister, Mr Nigel Dodds, said that the dispute between the First and Deputy First Ministers demonstrated that "all the hype and spin about the new Executive cannot disguise the shabby reality.
"The bitterness of the personal attack by Seamus Mallon and the underhand tactics of David Trimble are illustrative of the true nature of government in Northern Ireland," he said.
The Workers' Party accused politicians of playing "petty sectarian politics with policing in Northern Ireland."