Edwin Poots already seems resigned to the constitutional outrage of the Irish Sea border

Two weeks on from the election of Edwin Poots as DUP leader and it is abundantly clear that he does not have a strategy to remove the Northern Ireland Protocol.

In fact having listened to various interviews that he has given I would seriously question whether Mr Poots even has the determination and will to try and fight this constitutional outrage.

There appears to be an air of resignation about Mr Poots that the protocol is here to stay.

Talk of winning a unionist majority at the next assembly election is irrelevant in my eyes, the assembly election is a year away, the time for action is now, next year may well be too late.

The building of the border posts and customs infrastructure at the ports must cease now, all north south activity must cease now and the assembly must be brought down now — these are all steps Mr Poots could and would take if he was serious about ending this protocol.

It seems though that for some in the DUP the institutions are such a sacred cow they are prepared to cling to them even at the cost of Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

I would urge all unionists to make it clear to their DUP MLA, MP, and councillors that we as loyal Ulstermen expect these three steps to be taken as an absolute bare minimum.

Richard Ferguson, Dollingstown

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