Arlene Foster should admit her mistake over the Irish Sea border, says Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken

The Ulster Unionist Party leader said Arlene Foster’s comments on the ‘Andrew Marr Show’ were “rendered worthless” by the DUP’s failure on the Irish Sea border.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Jan 2021, 23:02 BST
Updated 4th Jan 2021, 10:34 BST
Lorries at the DEARA site near Belfast Harbour on Friday January 1 2021, the first day after Great Britain left the single market and customs union but a different arrangement came in for Northern Ireand, creating a trade barrier in the Irish Sea. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA WireLorries at the DEARA site near Belfast Harbour on Friday January 1 2021, the first day after Great Britain left the single market and customs union but a different arrangement came in for Northern Ireand, creating a trade barrier in the Irish Sea. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire
Lorries at the DEARA site near Belfast Harbour on Friday January 1 2021, the first day after Great Britain left the single market and customs union but a different arrangement came in for Northern Ireand, creating a trade barrier in the Irish Sea. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

(See below for link to story about Mrs Foster’s interview)

Steve Aiken MLA said: “Arlene Foster’s interview with Andrew Marr has further confirmed that the DUP’s blood red line about a border in the Irish Sea was never a red line at all.

“It was washed away when the DUP supported Boris Johnson’s proposals for a border in the Irish Sea and border inspection posts on October 2 2019, with Arlene Foster herself describing them as ‘a serious and sensible way forward’.”

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Mr Aiken continued: “As for Arlene’s claims that the DUP ‘will hold the government to account’ on the maintenance of unfettered access, why would anybody believe them when they couldn’t hold Boris Johnson to account when they could actually do something about it, when they held the balance of power at Westminster?

“The DUP’s failure to hold the government to account on October 2 2019 when it really mattered has rendered their words worthless.”

Mr Aiken called on the biggest unionist party to admit their political errors with regard to Brexit and its aftermath.

“It’s time for the DUP to cut the bravado and the hubris and acknowledge that they got this badly wrong,” he said.

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“We have already had the obscene spectacle of Edwin Poots thanking Arron Banks for getting Northern Ireland into this mess.

“Whilst on the Marr programme, Arlene Foster failed to directly answer the question about there being a border in the Irish Sea; now we see one of her own MPs, Sammy Wilson, quoting guidance about cross-border travel on Twitter to defend his attendance in Westminster last week.”

Mr Aiken added: “The DUP need to make their mind up where they stand on this.”

The then Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt opposed Brexit, but the UUP left it to individual members and politicians to decide what position to take on the 2016 referendum.

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Mr Nesbitt was left looking isolated among long-standing members of the party when a raft of prominent names such as David Trimble and David Campbell backed Brexit.

• Northern Ireland has a gateway of opportunity after Brexit, says Arlene Foster

• Editorial: Mere mitigation of the NI Protocol betrayal is not good enough

• Ben Lowry: Bogus denial of Irish Sea border illustrates this tragicomic saga

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Related topics:Arlene FosterDUPIrish SeaMike NesbittUlster Unionist PartyBrexitSammy WilsonBoris JohnsonAndrew Marr