If the prime minister is serious about helping unionism, he will meet Jim Allister today

The prime minister will be in Northern Ireland today with, it seems, a mixed message to deliver.

On the one hand he will have tough words for the DUP — to restore Stormont.

On the other , Boris Johnson will tell the EU that he might act unilaterally to protect the integrity of a UK that has been damaged by his Irish Sea border.

The DUP has made up for its early talk of opportunities from the Northern Ireland Protocol and its minimal resistance to implementation of the trade barrier by adopting the right stance now. As the party says, the principle of consent, that underpinned any unionist support for the 1998 Belfast Agreement, is undermined by the protocol. Will Mr Johnson today give further detail on his plan to remove the border?

One thing to watch today will be whether or not the prime minister grants an audience to Jim Allister QC MLA. This newspaper is not aware of such a planned meeting.

Since 2007, when Mr Allister quit the DUP over sharing power with Sinn Fein, he has been an uncomfortable voice not only at Stormont but within unionism. Almost daily he issues press releases that explain concessions to nationalism that either go unnoticed or meet little political resistance.

Mr Allister has become a vital unionist voice, such as his total rejection of the protocol from the moment details of it emerged. Vindicated on this and on other matters, he secured 65,000 votes on May 5, despite fielding little known candidates, and despite many unionists voting DUP to stop SF. The TUV’s 8% share of first preference ballots cast in NI was a higher percentage than Alliance got in five of eight Stormont elections since 1996 and not far behind the Sinn Fein vote in some 1980s elections (eg the 9% it won in the 1989 MEP race).

Those parties always won multiple Stormont seats. Mr Allister’s big vote this month only returned one MLA – him.

Alliance was always at the heart of talks, despite its at times lower vote share than TUV. It is clear the PM should meet Mr Allister and understand the view he articulates.

• Other commentary:

• Ben Lowry May 14: Here are six of the broad reasons for the recent turn against unionism, some of which are reversible

• Henry McDonald May 14: Will Boris Johnson deliver beyond his rhetoric?

• Letter May 14: We unionists who foresaw Brexit problems in Northern Ireland were ignored

• Editorial May 14: Crowds of all ages flock to Balmoral to savour a normal show

• Nigel Dodds May 13: Reg Empey is attacking other unionists when voters want a united approach

• Samuel Morrison May 13: The TUV got 8% of the vote in Northern Ireland and can no longer be ignored

• Editorial May 13: The NIO has been right to send a minister to US amid American pressure on UK

• Lord Empey May 12: The DUP have no-one to blame but themselves for disastrous election

• Peter Robinson May 11: Ignore those who are urging DUP to just go back into Stormont

• John Cushnahan May 11: SF hypocrisy to attack DUP leader over MP seat while boycotting Westminster

• Ben Lowry May 9: The TUV vote surge should have been one of the main stories of the election