The SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, has criticised the Northern Secretary for accusing his party of playing politics with the policing issue.
Mr Hume said he was "appalled" at the suggestion the party had adopted its position on the policing legislation because of electoral considerations. "Throughout our existence as a party, we have never played party politics in our approach to resolving any of our political problems, including policing."
His weekend statement comes as members of the SDLP delegation, currently negotiating aspects of the legislation unacceptable to the party, have reported progress and expect an outcome by the end of January.
Mr Hume said the party would continue to use its judgment to decide whether to make nominations to the new Policing Board, due to replace the Police Authority on April 1st. "We naturally hope that that will happen soon," he said.
Last week Mr Peter Mandelson called on the SDLP not to "torpedo" the peace process by delaying police reforms "for the sake of politics and a shadow of an upcoming election".
"Our consistent party approach, as the record shows, has been to achieve a police service that will have the allegiance of both sections of our people and membership of both sections of our people," he said.
Mr Alban Maginness MLA, a member of the SDLP delegation, said they would today meet again with the RUC Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, to discuss outstanding operational issues.
He expected an outcome on the issue by the end of January, a date which could prove "crucial in terms of our political future". The Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, has announced he will carry out a consultative process with the party grassroots until the end of the month.
According to Mr Maginness the British government had yet to give "definite assurances" on symbolic issues such as the flying of the Union flag or the new badge. "If you have a Union Jack flying over a police station you might as well throw Patten into the bin," he said.
Mr Maginness believed the SDLP's demand for judicial inquiries into the killings of Pat Finucane, Rosemary Nelson and Robert Hamill was an area that "could be resolved satisfactorily".
The party's demand for the closure of Gough barracks in Armagh, abolition of the full-time reserve, the fast-tracking of the part-time reserve to include Catholic members and the amalgamation of Special Branch and CID, are still under negotiation with Sir Ronnie and the North's Security Minister, Mr Adam Ingram.
"There is some resistance but at the same time an attempt is being made to listen to what we are saying," added Mr Maginness.
On Saturday Sir Reg Empey of the UUP said his party had gone into an executive with Sinn Fein on the basis of fewer guarantees on decommissioning than the SDLP were demanding on policing.
"Now when the SDLP, for the first time in many years, are confronted with a serious decision they are standing by the side of the swimming pool and they are afraid to put their toe in the water," he said
Meanwhile, the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, said it was not too late to achieve the policing service envisaged by the Belfast Agreement, but amended legislation was needed to achieve the "minimum threshold" set by the Patten report.
"Tinkering with the Implementation Plan is not enough," he said. "We have waited 80 years for a proper policing service. That is the prize we must win."
