DUP party officers meet as internal discussions over a deal to restore Stormont intensify

The party has said for months that any deal will need to meet their seven tests – and restore Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market.

If Sir Jeffrey succeeds in getting support from the party officers, it could be sent for approval to the party’s executive over the weekend.

However, it is by no means certain that a decision will be reached at today’s officer meeting – with some in the party playing down the likelihood of such an outcome.

One senior DUP source told the PA news agency: “Whether a decision is taken today or next week it is clear that the time for a decision has arrived. The negotiation is over.”

The BBC’s Nolan Show this morning reported a ‘senior source’ within the party saying that the meeting will be a ‘deal or no deal’ scenario, would define the future of the union – and that Stormont could be back as early as next week.

It also reports a claim by the unnamed source that the leadership has calculated that the money on offer from the government will be more important to the public than the Windsor Framework.

There is clearly a split within the DUP officer board over whether a return should happen before the Irish Sea border is removed. The exact numbers are unclear, however vocal opponents of a return while Northern Ireland is not on an equal trade footing with the rest of the United Kingdom include Sammy Wilson MP and Lord Dodds.

Although the issue has been discussed by party officers, it has not so far come down to a formal vote – and it may not again today.

The scope of any deal on Northern Ireland’s trading relationship with the rest of the UK is likely to be limited. For fundamental changes to the Windsor Framework to take place, they would need sign off from the EU. The News Letter understands that the EU have not been involved in negotiations – and view them as a ‘domestic matter’ between the DUP and the government. Brussels has repeatedly ruled out any renegotiation.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has asked for the removal of unnecessary customs processes at the border – and for legislation under the UK Internal Market Act, which the Prime Minister said he stood ready to act on.

It is unclear precisely what legislation the UK government has ready to bring before parliament as part of its deal with the DUP – and whether it will legislate before the DUP re-enters the Executive. When asked about this, the NIO reiterated the Secretary of State’s position before Christmas, when he said: "We stand ready to introduce a package of measures that have been worked on together should the DUP reach a decision to proceed."

The BBC Nolan Show also reported that the DUP source questions how Sir Jeffrey Donaldson would manage the splits within the party in the event a deal is done.

If, as it appears, there is a significant split within the twelve strong party officer team – that is likely to be reflected within the wider party membership. The party officer team has remained tight-lipped about what has been discussed in recent months, but the much bigger party Executive may be harder to manage.

However, there is a significant funding deal of around £3 billion on offer from the government since before Christmas – something the party will argue wouldn’t have happened without their actions.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said the time for a decision was always going to come – and now the DUP will decide whether they will accept the deal or not.

The Upper Bann MLA said: "Which way it goes, I’ve simply got no idea. I hope that the party can support Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and go back into government again because Northern Ireland as a working part of the United Kingdom is exactly where I want us to be, working for all the people. But where we are now is that decision point which we knew was coming. It has now arrived and we have to see what the out-workings are of it.”

Commenting on the speculation about what will happen in today’s meeting, TUV leader Jim Allister said: “The test for Unionism of any deal on the restoration of devolution remains the mandate on which the DUP fought not one but two elections - their seven tests. If, as I suspect, not one word of the Protocol has changed and Sir Jeffrey pushes his party back into Stormont then a false bill of goods was sold to the Unionist people. The DUP have no mandate to go into a Sinn Fein lead executive in such circumstances.

“This is a defining moment for Unionism. If the Protocol is accepted by the DUP then they will have accepted that never again will Northern Ireland be fully part of the United Kingdom. Should that prove to be the case, it will be time for all Unionists who see the folly of such to stand together to resist betrayal.”

Responding to speculation a deal might involve a re-branding of the ‘green lane’ – loyalist Jamie Bryson said: “They can call it the King Billy lane if they want. The key issue is whether the Protocol and Framework remains, and it is clear they will.”

Former Secretary of State Shaun Woodward told the BBC that now was the time for Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to “come off the fence” – and said this is an “existential” moment for the DUP.

He said: “What I think I’m seeing here is that moment has now arrived. He is going to try and get his party today to smell the coffee. And that coffee is built very much out of those strikes yesterday”.

Last night, former NI secretary Julian Smith MP – who is understood to have a key role in discussions between the DUP and the government – posted on X “Sometimes it's darkest before the dawn”. He was responding to a post by the former Head of the Civil Service David Sterling who said there was a “sad end of days feel in the air” at Stormont.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: “I wouldn’t get into commentary or speculation around political party meetings. Our focus has always been on delivering for the people of Northern Ireland who rightly expect locally elected decisionmakers to address the issues that matter to them. We also think we have a strong basis for the restoration of powersharing, so we hope this can be fixed soon.”