Letter: DUP has no mandate to return to Stormont under a deal which retains Irish Sea border and EU law in Northern Ireland

In recent days it would seem that the DUP leadership has to decided throw caution to the wind with its enthusiastic embrace of the new deal which has restored the NI executive.

In less than a week the unionist community found itself bombarded with triumphalist jargon and promises of new legislation and monies from Westminster. All the while being denied any public debate or legal scrutiny of the document by independent experts in constitutional law.

It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the DUP leadership have done a “smash and grab” job on the unionist electorate.

Since the spectre of the Irish Sea border first emerged, the DUP leadership made no secret that its priority remained maintaining functioning devolution. The party's journey has been one of reluctant protocol implementers in power to reluctant protocol opponents out of power.

Regardless, the DUP contested the last two elections on a promise that there would be no return to the executive until Northern Ireland’s place in the UK was fully restored.

This position was subsequently endorsed by the majority of unionists. As such the DUP has no mandate to return to government under a deal which has retained both the Irish Sea border and EU law in Northern Ireland.

Of course, the DUP leadership is entitled to make a case that they believe they have achieved the best possible deal available. But they must give the unionist electorate the opportunity to express their verdict. This can only be achieved through a fresh assembly election.

The assembly’s PR system would allow all unionist parties greater freedom to contest against each other without necessarily splitting the vote.

This upcoming general election will not be an accurate test of unionist opinion due its first past the post system. The DUP knows that they will be able to pressure unionists sceptical of the deal into backing their candidates, purely out of a fear of unionism losing its representation at Westminster.

However, the DUP should be mindful that this tactic also has the potential to backfire on them, especially if the complex new deal begins to unravel before the next election.

Many anti-protocol campaigners who have long since lost patience with the party may decide that challenging their MPs at Westminster level is perhaps the lesson in humility its leadership currently needs.

Kirk McDowell, Belfast BT5