Fellow unionists and judge round on DUP

Mr Justice Scoffield found that the DUP was in “abject breach of their solemn pledge” due to the party’s boycott of the North-South Ministerial Council in protest at the NI Protocol.

Under the Good Friday Agreement, ministers in the Stormont government must sign up to an official Pledge of Office, and this specifically makes them promise to “participate fully in the Executive Committee, the North-South Ministerial Council and the British-Irish Council”.

The ministerial council was set up in 1998 as a regular gathering of political leaders from Belfast and Dublin to discuss cross-border matters.

The DUP has touted its withdrawal from that council as an example of how serious it is about combating the protocol – and now a judge has re-affirmed an earlier ruling that the party is breaking the law by maintaining the boycott.

Meanwhile, both the UUP and TUV savaged the credibility of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, due to the fact he has repeatedly pledged to scupper Stormont over his opposition to the protocol, but without sticking to a firm timetable for such action.

The DUP hit back, accusing the Ulster Unionists of undermining the cause of unionist unity.

More from this reporter:

Click here: ‘DUP has embarrassed all of unionism with its empty Protocol threats’ declares Empey as Donaldson pledges more ‘engagement’ with No10

Click here: Man shot dead in west Belfast understood to have recently beaten charges of blackmail and threats to kill

Click here: Leading loyalist warns government it may well be playing with fire over Protocol

Click here: Grief and gratitude as family of Debbie Crothers praise work of volunteers who found her body

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