David McNarry: Trio who made politics hell for David Trimble - Donaldson, Foster and Weir - now face their own hard choice

Trio who made politics hell for Trimble now face their own tough choice​

It is often reflected that ‘what goes around comes around’. Such is the case for Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. Backing his own judgement came around for David Trimble in 1998 when deciding to go for the Belfast Agreement.

Then he had to contend with the ‘hand of history’ flannel of Tony Blair. Today Jeffrey Donaldson has the ‘second hand car salesman pitch of Rishi Sunak pressurising him to accept the Windsor Protocol. As Boris Johnson proclaimed so too is the prime minister promising the ‘best of both worlds’ as a utopian outcome exclusive to Northern Ireland. Falling for that claim cost Arlene Foster her leadership.

Those of us in David Trimble's team of 1998 felt the wrath of the Donaldson, Foster, Peter Weir in their rejection of the agreement. They were part of Trimble’s Belfast Agreement Panel and walked out in furious rejection of the deal. Books by Frank Millar, ‘David Trimble – The Price of Peace’ and the late News Letter political editor Henry McDonald ‘Trimble’ provide accurate accounts of the hostility which split unionism asunder.

Now the knight of the realm, the dame and the lord who made political life hell for Trimble know what it is like to make impossibly difficult decisions of critical importance. I recall clearly a dreadful hot and heavy meeting with Jeffrey, Arlene, Peter berating David over the agreement. It led, a few years later, to their walking away from the UUP. I am convinced that the trio’s actions in 1998 prompted Trimble to prove his leadership qualities and go all out to secure the deal. The rest really is history.

How ironic therefore that it is these ex Ulster Unionist opponents of the Belfast Agreement who now trumpet the integrity of the agreement and battle (thank goodness) to maintain its primacy. It is they who are trying to see off internal critics of compromise.The irony of this deja vu will not be lost on many unionist supporters of Trimble's achievement. For some, those actions 25 years ago have not been forgiven.

The Windsor Framework poses a great dilemma for unionist leaders who are wise to seek counsel. There isn’t a unionist about who does not wish Sir Jeffrey well in his quest to reaffirm that the Union is safe. Splits into factions must be prevented for politics to proceed under a united direction. It cannot be reminiscent of 1998.

The agreement enshrined the ‘consent principle’, which we thought could not be breached. Bearing in mind Trimble’s total repudiation of the NI Protocol, had the opportunity arisen to appraise the Windsor contortions he might have wanted

• in writing the supremacy of the Belfast Agreement over the Windsor Protocol;

• constitutional assurances in line with ‘consent’ principle;

• the written allegiance of all partnership parties agreeing to NI constitutional position;

• and clarity on the extent to which NI really is out of the EU single market, and its ability to opt out of future changes.

David McNarry, Ex Ulster Unionist MLA, Comber