Boris Johnson’s ‘tough message’to Northern Ireland politicians: Get Stormont back to work

The prime minister will travel to Belfast today for a series of crisis talks after the DUP blocked the election of a speaker at the Stormont Assembly, preventing it from sitting.

He is expected to say the “delicate balance” of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) has been upset by the Northern Ireland Protocol, eroding the historic economic bonds linking Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, leaving the unionist community feeling like its aspirations and identity are threatened.

Government sources said Mr Johnson will also use a series of private meetings to deliver a “tough message” that parties must come together to form an Executive and Assembly if the problems with the protocol are to be fixed.

He is expected to say that while the UK government will “play its part to ensure political stability”, politicians must “get back to work” so they can deliver on “bread and butter issues” for the voters.

UK ministers have repeatedly said they will act unilaterally on the protocol if an agreement cannot be found to reduce the impact of the checks, which have been blamed for hitting businesses and fuelling community tensions.

In his talks, Mr Johnson is expected to say that while the government “will always keep the door open to genuine dialogue”, there will be “a necessity to act” to protect the GFA if there is no change in the EU position.

He will insist the government has never suggested scrapping the protocol and will acknowledge there will always have to be a treaty governing the UK’s relationship with the EU in respect of Northern Ireland in order to prevent the return of a hard border with the Republic.

The prime minister will argue that the UK and EU’s “shared objective” should be to agree a reformed protocol which can command “the broadest possible cross-community support” when it faces a consent vote in 2024.

The DUP move not to nominate a speaker was bitterly condemned by Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill – whose party is now the biggest in the Assembly following elections earlier this month – and other party leaders.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on Friday night defended the DUP’s decision to block the election of a new speaker claiming that if a trade border was at Aughnacloy, rather than Larne, Sinn Fein would walk from Stormont.

In a statement after day one of the new Assembly ended with no speaker elected and no prospect of an Executive, the DUP leader said the move demonstrated that his party was “serious” about changing the Northern Ireland Protocol. He said he was sending out a “clear message” to the EU and the UK government about the post-Brexit trade deal.

It emerged late on Friday that Mr Johnson will fly to Belfast today as pressure mounts on the prime minister to sanction unilateral UK changes to the protocol, including removing the European Court of Justice’s powers over Northern Ireland. Mr Johnson will also use his visit to guarantee the delivery of three pre-existing commitments on a language and culture package, ensuring women and girls have access to abortion services, and introducing new measures to deal with the legacy of the past.

l Morning View, page 16