DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson appeals to UUP to help block Integrated Education Bill

The DUP is one vote short of triggering the parliamentary mechanism which needs 30 votes at Stormont to be enacted. A POC is moved when parties argue that a proposed law would not have cross-community support. The DUP would need at least one UUP MLA to break ranks and back their POC.

So far the UUP has not officially indicated which way it will vote although it is understood the party is against backing the DUP’s POC.

Sir Jeffrey said: “We believe that this bill is deeply flawed. I absolutely want to see children educated together and incidentally in my constituency there are many schools, Controlled and Maintained, where the pupils come from very different, diverse backgrounds.

“The idea that in the Controlled and Maintained sectors there isn’t a degree of integration is simply not true. And this bill will seriously disadvantage schools in the Controlled and Maintained sectors, which is not something we can support. We want a level playing field.

“We are opposed to this bill in its current form therefore we will be pursuing a petition of concern and I am calling on the Ulster Unionist Party in particular to add their names to that POC to protect primary and secondary schools in constituencies right across Northern Ireland, which will face real problems with funding if this bill goes through.”

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