Sinn Fein chairman Mr Mitchel McLaughlin has said if the British government fully implements the Patten report on policing, he personally believes his party should encourage republicans to join the new force.
Speaking at a press conference in the House of Commons yesterday, Mr McLaughlin said if the British government was to "enact Patten 100 per cent", his party would have "a very clear choice to make".
While he could not claim to be speaking on behalf of Sinn Fein, he would be "arguing we should go for it", if Patten was fully implemented.
Republicans, however, would not accept the retention of the RUC's badge. "There is no possibility republicans would join a police service with the crown on the cap badge."
Mr McLaughlin said Sinn Fein was not prepared to compromise on policing simply to help Mr David Trimble overcome his internal difficulties.
Meanwhile, the UUP has claimed the SDLP's position on policing is more extreme than Sinn Fein's. The allegations were made after the SDLP Deputy First Minister, Mr Seamus Mallon, said young Catholics would not join the police force if it retains the RUC's symbols.
The UUP leader, Mr Trimble, is seeking a compromise on the police badge and emblems from the British government. The Policing Bill is due before the House of Lords later this month.
Mr Mallon said he could not support the current police legislation because it did not adhere to the Patten proposals. "Take any young man from the Catholic community within a hardline nationalist area. If the first thing he sees is a flag or an emblem he doesn't particularly adhere to, is he going to be predisposed to join the police?" Mr Mallon said he wanted to be able to encourage young nationalists to join and support the police for the first time in the North's history.
But he added: "The constitutional argument put forward by the Ulster Unionists simply doesn't stand up. There is a school of thought you have to damage the agreement to keep unionists on board. That is faulty thinking."
Ulster Unionist minister Mr Michael McGimpsey said Mr Mallon's position was more extreme than Sinn Fein's. "The SDLP is determined to push the government to the wire on policing. They will use every threat and trick in the book to wring concessions from the Prime Minister."
UUP senior negotiator, Mr Dermot Nesbitt, claimed the SDLP minister hadn't "a clue what he was talking about". He added: "Nationalism and republicanism needs to admit their attitude to the policing issue is not only unreasonable but is in breach of human rights legislation."
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has insinuated that if the British government does not implement the Patten report, the Provisional IRA might reconsider its contact with the international decommissioning commission.