The Northern Ireland Police Federation, the association representing about 12,000 members of the RUC, broke with tradition yesterday and declined to invite the Northern Ireland Secretary of State to address its annual conference.
The federation is a strongly conservative organisation, and the decision not to invite Mr Mandelson is seen within its ranks as a clear indication of its reaction to the Patten Commission proposals to change the name of the RUC.
Normally the Secretary of State would make a keynote address on an issue of political or security policy significance, but this year the conference address was made by federation chairman Mr Les Rodgers.
The press was allowed to attend his address and then excluded for the rest of the conference. This arrangement was used in the days when there was a perceived threat to the lives of RUC officers who might be identified while speaking at a conference.
While the change of the RUC's name provided an emotional focus for the conference, it was the pragmatic question of compensation and retraining for retiring officers that consumed the bulk of business time.
The federation is heavily involved in negotiations about severance settlements for RUC officers who choose to leave the force. Very large severance payments and pension entitlements have been expected in order to encourage early retirement.
This would provide a means for the increased intake of young Catholic recruits to redress the religious imbalance in the force. At present about 94 per cent of RUC members are Protestant.
The conference accepted four motions calling for reports on severance arrangements and demanding that the British government acknowledge the service given by the RUC through "ensuring generosity and sympathy" towards its members.
There were also motions calling for fair treatment of the RUC Reserve, which provides guard duties at RUC stations and government buildings.
Nine motions before the conference concerned the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust (PRRT), the organisation set up with a £4.5 million sterling grant to help RUC officers who wish to retire and take up positions in civilian life. The PRRT provides a range of services and offers psychological help in adjusting to civilian life.
Surveys of RUC officers show that 350 in every 1,000 officers who have served with the force in the past 30 years have suffered some degree of psychological trauma.