There is an election coming folks and the DUP’s backs are against the wall

I noted with interest your headline on Monday (‘DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson looks to ramp up the pressure on Northern Ireland protocol this week.’ August 5, see link below) where it would appear Sir Jeffrey Donothing is going to make a speech this week in which he will promise to kill dead things in his opposition to the protocol.

I hope people see this for what it really is. The beginning of the DUP’s election campaign.

Remember, this is the same guy who was happy to go along with his party’s support for Boris Johnson’s original plan for a regulatory Irish Sea border in early October 2019 after telling us that that was a red line for them.

He also supported former leader Arlene Foster when she said that she would implement the protocol while others wanted to fight it.

He supported her when she said what we have now is a gateway of opportunity.

He supported his other leader, Edwin Poots, who, as Daera minister built and operated the border posts needed to implement the protocol.

He supported his MLAs when, in December, they voted through dozens of EU rules , making sure NI laws aligned with the protocol.

Jeffrey may see himself as a Putinesque character, the strong man of Ulster, who will deliver us from the protocol. The truth is, he is more like a boy who is being led by the hand by SF as his party implements the protocol.

There’s an election coming folks and the DUP’s backs are against the wall. The choice is simple: if you want more DUP capitulation on the protocol then continue to vote for them. If not then make sure you vote for those people and parties that have consistently opposed it.

Tom Smith, Councillor, Ards & North Down

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson looks to ramp up the pressure on Northern Ireland protocol this week

——— ———

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry

Acting Editor