Letter: Incumbent and aspiring DUP MPs who disagree with their party’s pro-Protocol stance should challenge Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s leadership

The announcement that the TUV and Reform UK will work in partnership to ensure that voters in every constituency in Northern Ireland have the opportunity to vote for a pro-British, pro-Union, anti Irish Sea Border candidate, is most welcome.

As implementers of the NI Protocol / Windsor Framework, the DUP and the UUP are both playing an active role in constructing and operating a trade barrier between NI and Great Britain and causing a diversion of trade to/from British markets to Irish markets. This behaviour is the antithesis of unionism and for that reason I no longer consider either to be a unionist party. Hence, rather than spoil my ballot, the presence of a TUV / Reform UK candidate, will give me a reason to enthusiastically cast my vote for a principled unionist.

The upcoming Westminster election also provides the perfect opportunity for incumbent and aspiring DUP MPs who profess disagreement with their party’s pro-Protocol stance. They should challenge Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s leadership and seek to re-establish the DUP as a unionist party. Or, if they deem the party beyond the pale, they should join the TUV in championing the cause of equal UK citizenship across the UK.

It must be remembered that the DUP fought the last two elections on an anti-Protocol manifesto. Now that their current leadership has committed the DUP to implementing the Protocol, their prospective Westminster candidates must take a stand. It would be disingenuous for the DUP to fight the forthcoming election trying to ride two horses at once, ie. having some candidates declaring opposition to the Irish Sea border and having others in favour. Meantime, while such a sham fight plays out, the DUP’s MLAs in Stormont continue to actively implement the Protocol.

The time for action is now.

Thomas Smyth, Belfast BT4