"The RUC must remain the only legitimate police force in Northern Ireland. It must remain a unified force. And it must remain the `Royal Ulster Constabulary'," Mr Andrew Mackay has told the Conservative Party conference.
Mr Mackay, the shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, was responding to a one-hour debate on the North which again betrayed the underlying unease of Conservative activists about the Belfast Agreement.
Delegates listened in silence as Mr Mackay paid "special tribute" to Mr David Trimble and Mr Seamus Mallon, eventually applauding when he said: "I am sure this conference joins with me once again in offering them our full support as they take on their new responsibilities."
By contrast some of the warmest applause was for the East Antrim delegate, Mr Paul Stewart, who was openly critical of the Ulster Unionist leader, and for Councillor Brian Williams, from Manchester, who accused the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, of "an elegant and moral blackmail" and for having "dragged the unionists" into a fudge on the decommissioning issue.
Only one speaker, Ms Doreen Jansen from Croydon Central, warned conference against a narrow focus on decommissioning. "If we are listening to the people of Northern Ireland, the ballot box has beaten the bombers," she declared. "Concentrating on this single issue could derail the peace process . . . to focus solely on decommissioning, a narrow negative issue, is a mistake."
But Tory delegates' hearts were warmed by Mr John Strafford, from Bucks and Oxfordshire East Euro Council, who unveiled a Union flag and declared: "This is my flag, and I'm proud of it. It is time we governed Northern Ireland like all other parts of the United Kingdom."
Speaking against a platform backdrop of orange and blue, Mr Strafford said the Assembly "is not a democratic body, it institutionalises sectarianism". And he captured the prevailing mood on the arms issue as he declared: "This year, next year, some time never. That is the slogan of Sinn Fein/IRA. Let there be no further appeasement. We demand decommissioning now."
Mr Ben Wallace, a former soldier from Aberdeen, echoed the message, telling Mr Gerry Adams: "If you are serious about peace you must give up your weapons." Some delegates rose to their feet in standing ovation for Mr Stewart, attending his first conference as an East Antrim delegate, who said he had challenged Mr Trimble at his fringe meeting on Tuesday to say when he would declare "that enough is enough". He said his question had gone unanswered: "And he's meant to be a defender of the Union."
Noting that "not one rusty bullet has been handed in", Mr Stewart told conference: "Our Union is at stake. Our freedom is at stake. Our heritage is at stake."
In his reply, Mr Mackay said he agreed with Mr Trimble "that the Belfast Agreement strengthens the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." The Act of Union, he said, remained unaffected: "For the first time since 1925 the Irish State recognises the legitimacy of Northern Ireland as a political entity and that it is a legitimate part of the United Kingdom. As a result, the Irish territorial claim to sovereignty over Northern Ireland will be amended - and not, I might add, a moment too soon."
Mr Mackay continued: "The principle of consent is now more firmly established and widely accepted than ever before. A united Ireland will only ever be brought about by the consent of the people of Ireland, separately given, North and South. That is not in prospect.
"As far as anybody can realistically see, there will continue to be a substantial majority in Northern Ireland in favour of the Union. And as unionists we will take satisfaction from that."
Mr Mackay also said he was satisfied that the proposed arrangements for cross-Border co-operation did not provide "a slippery slope to a united Ireland". And he welcomed the fact that there would be "a Council of the Isles".
However, the shadow Northern Ireland Secretary really only moved his audience when he said many found "sickening" the spectacle of early prisoner releases and "the prospect of those who have spent a lifetime apologising for or engaging in violence enjoying the spoils of ministerial office".
The audience applauded enthusiastically when Mr Mackay declared: "This conference salutes the Royal Ulster Constabulary . . . We see the commission (on policing) as an opportunity rather than a threat. We look forward to the heroic record of the RUC finally being put straight and the lies and distortions of its enemies nailed."
Like many law-abiding people, Mr Mackay said he was "not prepared to see further early release of terrorist murderers and Sinn Fein members taking ministerial positions, while not one gun nor one ounce of Semtex has been decommissioned".
And he secured his standing ovation promising that Conservatives would "continue to hold the government to account on decommissioning ".