The Ulster Unionist Party, following a meeting of its ruling executive, has pledged to continue its campaign against the Patten proposals on policing. The 110-member executive last night re-affirmed its particular opposition to the proposed change to the RUC name and insignia.
It passed a motion welcoming the "constructive" elements of the Patten report, but "deeply" regretted the controversial proposals. It made no decision on whether its continuing or future participation in government should be contingent on the RUC name being maintained.
The wording of the motion adopted last night also reflected the UUP expectation that the institutions of the Belfast Agreement would be suspended later this week, and that the Northern Secretary, Mr Peter Mandelson, would initiate another review of the agreement.
The motion stated that the party would continue to oppose the controversial aspects of Patten and "will also raise these issues in the course of any review or further inter-party talks and will require them to be satisfactorily resolved".
The UUP leader, Mr David Trimble, was heckled as he entered the Ulster Unionist Party headquarters in Glengall Street, Belfast, for the executive meeting. About 20 women carrying placards and waving Union Jacks jeered him as he drove into party headquarters. Mr Trimble merely waved back as the group called for his sacking.
Mr Trimble did not speak to reporters after the meeting which party officers described as useful and constructive. The anti-agreement East Derry MP, Mr William Ross, said the motion pledging continuing opposition to Patten was a "very sensible" one.
The meeting was called to deal with the party's strategic response to Mr Mandelson's decision to adopt the bulk of the Patten Report, including the controversial proposed name change to the RUC.
The UUP security spokesman, Mr Ken Maginnis, on his way to the meeting expressed reservations about a proposal from senior anti-agreement UUP member Mr David Burnside. He had urged that in addition to its stance on decommissioning the party should only participate in government with Sinn Fein on the basis that there is no change to the RUC name. It is expected that he will try to raise this motion on Saturday when the 860-member Ulster Unionist Council meets.
Mr Maginnis said such a motion could be counter-productive.
"I am not terribly well-minded to having a mismatch of unrelated issues effectively discussed under a single motion. It could lead to difficulties," added Mr Maginnis.
Mr Maginnis welcomed the suggestion by the SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, that the IRA should decommission some of its Semtex explosives. "It would be a great boost to the process if that could be realised," he said.
The anti-Agreement UUP MP, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson also welcomed the call from Mr Hume. He said, however, that any decommissioning of Semtex should be a prelude to full-scale IRA decommissioning by May 22nd.
The West Tyrone MP Mr William Thompson said Patten was a "slap in the face for the RUC". Unionist confidence was at an all-time low and "many people think we are not winning this battle" on policing," he added.
The issue of decommissioning would be settled one way or the other by Saturday when the council meeting takes place. The institutions of the agreement would be suspended or Mr Trimble would resign, said Mr Thompson.
Mr Jim Rodgers, a Belfast UUP councillor, said he believed that the proposed changes to the RUC name and symbols could still be reversed.
Responding to the UUP motion the Sinn Fein chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin said: "With each statement the UUP gameplan becomes clearer. John Taylor has already said that the best option for unionism is to opt for a better form of direct rule by pocketing the removal of Articles 2 and 3 and the end of the Anglo-Irish agreement.
"Tonight the UUP executive have expressed what unionism has been about for the past two years, that is, consistently trying to re-write and re-negotiate the Good Friday agreement. The two governments have a responsibility to ensure this does not happen.
"It the British government continues to acquiesce to the unionist veto it will undermine the principles of equality, inclusiveness and justice that are the bedrock of the Good Friday agreement," he concluded.
