Blame for Irish Sea border lies with DUP and also the UUP, who have been ineffectual at protecting unionists interests

Let’s make sure 2021 is not death knell of NI in UK

And so after all the ‘red lines’ talked about by the DUP Arlene says she will implement the NI Protocol as announced yesterday as a result of government talks with the EU.

Perhaps we should not be surprised at how it was so predictable that what will be a border in the Irish Sea was the first thing they managed to come to an agreement about.

To paraphrase the prophetic words of Sir Edward Carson, the only danger to the Union will come from unionists themselves, and so it seems.

We will be the only part of the UK subjected to export and import controls by the EU, a group of people aligned to the Irish Republic.

Sadly, this is just one more classic affront on the unionist people by the DUP during this period of the assembly. The responsibility not only lies with them but also the UUP who have been ineffectual at protecting those same interests.

We are a part of the UK now under siege. Clearly, due to the democratic mechanisms Ms Foster is unable and unwilling to fight against this onslaught on our Britishness — Think abortion.

Now is the time to call upon all those elected by the people who truly believe themselves to be unionist to remove themselves from Westminster, boycott Stormont and the assembly and future elections.

This debacle has ground along for much too long. When politicians no longer represent the will of the people they become fascist’s and to do nothing allows dishonesty, lack of justice and capitulation to succeed.

It’s time the elected representatives stopped playing petty party politics for political gain and began to support the people in our stand against this NI Protocol and what it mean for our future. We must make sure it does not become activated on January 1 2021.

2020 was the year of the Covd virus. Let’s make sure 2021 does not become the year of the death knell of our membership of the UK.

David Jones, Portadown

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