Unionists attack plan to abandon RUC oath

British government plans to do away with the RUC oath of service to the British monarch have been condemned by senior unionist politicians. The SDLP issued a qualified welcome for the move while Sinn Fein said it wanted the force disbanded.

The DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, described the proposal as "scandalous". "Here we have another concession to the Provisional IRA, and a signal that if the name of the police will not change then the police will not be asked to be loyal to the state."

He was dismissive of a comment by the Northern Secretary, Dr Mo Mowlam, that the proposed new declaration which affirms that recruits will "faithfully discharge the duties of the office of constable" would bring the law in Northern Ireland into line with the position in Scotland.

The SDLP deputy leader, Mr Seamus Mallon, said the proposal to remove the oath was "not unwelcome". "It does, however, fail to address the key issue, that of the need for fundamental change in the structures and nature of policing in the North of Ireland," he added.

Mr Mallon was critical of the British government's forthcoming Police Bill, saying the issue of future policing should be a matter to be addressed at the talks. The Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said a police service to replace the RUC was required. "I don't think that anybody with any sense of the nationalist or republican position merely wants rid of the RUC oath. We want rid of the RUC." Mr Steve McBride, the Alliance justice spokesman, said moving to a Scottish-type oath was "a simple and sensible piece of modernisation which should cause no offence or controversy".