The UK and EU know that unionists are not serious about destroying the Northern Ireland protocol

Unionism faces a major problem in opposing the Northern Ireland Protocol, namely that neither the British government, the Irish government nor the European Union believe we are serious in our efforts to destroy this pernicious attack on the constitutional integrity of Northern Ireland.

Given that it is unionism in the form of the DUP who are actually implementing the protocol through such actions as the building of border customs posts and continuing to push the North South agenda it is little wonder that the government and pan nationalism do not take us seriously.

Indeed I have no doubt that when devising the protocol as a mechanism to undermine the position of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom pan nationalism calculated that the DUP, having been so morally weakened through entering into a power sharing relationship with IRA/Sinn Fein and being so fixated with holding ministerial office at Stormont, would not raise any opposition that would risk the salaries and career opportunities which they currently enjoy.

The longer the protocol remains in place the more Northern Ireland becomes economically re-orientated to and integrated within the Irish Republic and pan nationalism know that all they have to do is wait, once economic union is complete there is but a step to full political union.

Time is rapidly running out for this to be addressed politically, if the DUP will not take the action necessary to force the prime minister to invoke Article 16 — closing down the border posts, ceasing North South activity and collapsing Stormont — then it will be left to the ordinary loyalist people, if the will remains, to create such political instability that the prime minister has no choice but to tear up the protocol.

Richard Ferguson, Dollingstown

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