Lord McCrea: Unionists have had a bellyfull of the appeasement of republicans

The views of hard pressed unionists no longer seems to matter and while the United Kingdom was supposed to have left the European Union we in Northern Ireland are left hanging in mid-air, treated differently than any other region of the kingdom.

The protocol has been forced upon the people of Northern Ireland and although totally rejected by the unionist population the Westminster government cast aside their supposed allegiance to the Belfast Agreement and defiantly sought to implement something that drove a coach and horses through it.

To add insult to injury the government have decided to force the most rigorous abortion laws upon the people of Northern Ireland without their consent, and over the heads of the elected members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, of course once again to appease republicanism and Sinn Fein’s agenda.

Now we have further proof of how there are two laws being exercised within our province, again to the detriment of unionism and appeasement of republicanism.

No one can deny there are two different policing policies being carried out in Northern Ireland.

During this pandemic I and the vast majority of law abiding citizens have buried our loved ones with dignity, abiding by the rules emanating from Stormont.

This has caused much added heartache and grief but because of our willingness to stop the virus and save lives we abided by the rules.

Yet I know in the Mid Ulster, the deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill’s constituency and neighbourhood, we witnessed the constant breaking of these rules by republicans.

There was however little or no police presence, no vehicles with cameras to gather evidence and little mention of prosecutions.

For some unionists who broke the rules the police and other evidence measures were present and interviews, I believe, followed.

Yesterday we witnessed the most sickening decision that there will be no prosecutions for what happened at Bobby Storey’s funeral.

My view is that there was a disgraceful and blatant breach of the rules by republicans but O’Neill and the Sinn Fein leadership are not to be prosecuted

The Director of Public Prosecutions should resign.

It seems that the shadow of republicans returning to ‘what they know best’ hangs over the British government and we are all expected to join the policy of appeasement or remain silent.

That I will not do.

The unionist community has had a bellyfull of republican appeasement and the time has come when Sinn Fein has to know that unionists are not acquiescing with their agenda.

It is now time for unionism to collectively say to the Westminster government and Sinn Fein that our community deserves respect and equality and that the republican agenda will be strenuously resisted both at Stormont and Westminster.

The time for fine words is over and unionism will rise to the challenge.

• Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown is a DUP peer

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