Good Friday Agreement at 25: Chris Heaton-Harris 'sounds more like a clueless Irish-American politician than a British Tory minister' says DUP in fierce statement

Gavin Robinson joined the TUV leader Jim Allister in heaping criticism on the Secretary of State over his address to an audience at Queen’s University Belfast, where he took a swipe at the DUP over its Stormont boycott, saying that “real leaders know when to say yes”.

Mr Robinson also said that the relatively tough talk from Mr Heaton-Harris stood in contrast to the approach taken by the Northern Ireland Office towards Sinn Fein over its three-year boycott.

Mr Heaton-Harris’ speech at Queen’s was just one of number throughout the day, as part of a three-day conference marking the milestone birthday of the ‘98 deal. It ends tomorrow.

The Tory MP began by saying that the anniversary should be “deservedly marked, recognised, and indeed celebrated,” and that the deal was “justly... one of the proudest moments” of Tony Blair’s career.

Looking back to the 1998 deal, which had been opposed by the DUP, Mr Heaton-Harris said: “Real leaders know when to say yes, and Lord Trimble and the PUP's David Ervine led not only their own parties but unionism and loyalism in saying yes to peace.”

He added that “Martin McGuinness, along with Gerry Adams, will be remembered for the courage and leadership they showed in persuading the republican movement for peace”.

And in a remark clearly aimed at the DUP, he later went on to say, to applause: “I make no apologies for being proud of Northern Ireland’s place in the Union and for wanting it to continue.

"Others who share that view should put the Union first, restore the devolved institutions and get on with the job of delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

"Like David Trimble and David Ervine before in 1998, and Dr Paisley in 2006, real leadership is about knowing when to say yes and having the courage to do so.”

Mr Heaton-Harris also said that a narrative has emerged in recent times that “the agreement struck in 1998 did not achieve great things for unionism, that it was somehow all about wins for nationalism”.

"That narrative is wrong,” he said. “And all of us who support the agreement must be vocal in countering it.”

He noted that, before 1998, the Irish government’s constitution claimed the six counties of Northern Ireland as its own legitimate territory.

Nowadays, and thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Heaton-Harris said that claim has been revoked, adding: “That status can't be changed by the evil deeds of terrorists, or the words or wishes of politicians. The only thing that can change it is the will of the people of Northern Ireland.

"People tend to change the status quo only when the status quo is not working... devolved power-sharing institutions created a status quo that those of us who value Northern Ireland’s place in the Union can robustly and successfully promote and celebrate.

"So let no-one tell you power sharing is in any way at odds with unionism.

"Instead it is the surest way by which NI’s place within the union could be secured.”

He ended his speech by saying “the government will continue to listen intently to the conversation on how we can best achieve the effective and enduring operation of the institutions”.

Throughout the day’s events, it was been suggested (albeit somewhat vaguely) by various political leaders – Naomi Long, Micheal Martin, and Doug Beattie – that the 1998 agreement could be changed in light of the constant paralysis affecting Stormont every few years or so.

Mr Robinson, DUP MP for East Belfast, said: “The Northern Ireland Office’s approach today has been patronising towards unionist concerns, and stands in contrast to their approach when Sinn Fein blocked devolved government for three years over the Irish language.

"The government must realise that getting the foundations right, supported by unionists as well as nationalists, rather than personal attacks and blackmail will restore Stormont.

“The Secretary of State’s rhetoric for the QUB audience was more akin to a speech by a clueless Irish-American congressman rather than a UK government cabinet minister.

“This is about taking our time to get it right. We need stable and sustainable devolved government.

"For those who have forgotten, over the last 25 years, political progress in NI was hard won and is built on the foundation of support from unionists and nationalists.

"Not one unionist MLA supported the NI Protocol and that was the critical mistake.

“There is no solid basis for an Executive and Assembly until we have arrangements that restore NI’s place in the U.K. internal market and our constitutional arrangements are respected.”

Mr Allister meanwhile, TUV MLA for North Antrim, invoked the spectre of France’s Nazi puppet regime in World War Two in his description of the post-Brexit trading arrangements in force in the Province.

While Mr Heaton-Harris’ audience “predictably lapped up” his speech, Mr Allister said the notion that “putting Sinn Fein in charge of a Stormont administration will save the Union” is “absurd”.

“Unionists should remember that any minister in a Stormont executive will be required by law to be part of a Vichy regime which implements EU law over which no one in Northern Ireland has any say,” he said.

"How would Unionists being part of an administration which must implement the partition of the UK help strengthen the Union? The simple answer is that of course it would not!”

When the Nazis over-ran France in 1940 the west and north was occupied outright, but the south and east was left in the hands of Marshall Petain, widely seen as a toothless figurehead installed by Berlin.