Unionism sends a signal that it will bleat about the Irish Sea border but lacks guts to do what needs done

A letter from Harry Patterson:
Letter to the editorLetter to the editor
Letter to the editor

In David McNarry’s comment in Wednesdays News Letter (‘Unionists demand removal of disastrous internal UK border,’ February 17, see link below) he rightly says that a broad spectrum of unionism is demanding the removal of the disastrous Northern Ireland Protocol.

He also rightly says that the unionist leaders have a duty to hold Boris Johnson to account for the disaster he has inflicted on this part of the UK — in order to do this there must be a unity of purpose among the main unionist parties.

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As things stand now it doesn’t look much like that happening anytime soon despite the obvious growing pressure and calls from grass roots unionists to do precisely that!

DUP ministers actually implementing the protocol on the ground sends a very powerful and damaging message to Johnson, Brussels and Dublin that they can do pretty much what they like and political unionism will bleat a while but does not have the guts to do what needs to be done and walk away from the protocol and Stormont.

Will there come a time soon when the DUP and UUP have leaders with the courage and vision that is obviously needed now or are we to be lumbered with the current second raters for the foreseeable?

Things are not going to get better without a major change in both camps — they will get a lot worse.

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The petition will be ignored , the protocol will bed in without any meaningful change etc but Arlene Foster and Steve Aiken will still be in Stormont ensuring the sell out runs as smooth as possible.

Harry Patterson, Castlecaulfield

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