It’s time to reset and restore fairness for all: DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

Those were the words of DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, spoken moments after his colleague Paul Givan had confirmed his resignation as first minister.

Sir Jeffrey, who gave his speech to senior party figures in a different room in the same hotel as Mr Givan, said: “Now is the moment when we say ‘enough’.”

He went on: “Now is the moment to repair our politics, reset relations and restore fairness for all.

“Now is the moment to send the clear signal that we want Stormont free from the long shadows of the protocol – the Irish Sea border must go.”

Mr Givan’s resignation was not a surprise. Sir Jeffrey has been threatening to pull Mr Givan from the Executive for months in protest at the economic barriers on Irish Sea trade created by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

These repeated warnings, without subsequent action, had led some critics to portray Sir Jeffrey as the boy who cried wolf.

Sir Jeffrey said he had told Foreign Secretary Liz Truss that January 31 had been his deadline for securing movement on protocol logjams.

He said the DUP had given the UK and EU space to find solutions but he warned that sufficient progress had not been made.

“We wanted to be reasonable rather than reactionary,” he said. “We wanted to be practical rather than pedantic. I want devolution to work and to be respected across all communities in Northern Ireland. But for it to work, unionists as well as nationalists must be respected.

“We want a devolved government that delivers for everyone in Northern Ireland and that can build on stable foundations. These institutions only have value if they enjoy the confidence and support of the people they were established to serve.

“They only have meaning if they are delivering fairly for all our people based on the principles of equality and mutual respect on which they were founded. It’s time to restore fairness.”

Sir Jeffrey added: “There comes a moment when we have to take tough decisions if we are to build for the future. Such a moment has arrived.

“Despite the sometimes positive noises, the talks on the protocol have thus far failed to come to a conclusion – not because of a lack of time, but rather because minds do not seem to be focused on fixing our problems.

“Without resolute action on our part these talks could drift on for many further months or years. That is bad for Northern Ireland.”

Reacting to Mr Givan’s move, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald called for an early Assembly poll.

“I want to be clear, we cannot stagger on in the months ahead without a functioning executive. Sinn Fein will not facilitate this,” she said.

Announcing his resignation earlier Mr Givan said the protocol, which has created trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, had undermined a cornerstone of power-sharing in the Province – governance with the consent of both nationalists and unionists.

His announcement comes 24 hours after DUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots acted unilaterally to order a halt to agri-food checks required under the post-Brexit trading arrangements.

Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction and checks are continuing.

In his resignation speech, Mr Givan said: “Our institutions are being tested once again. And the delicate balance created by the Belfast and St Andrews agreements has been impacted by the agreement made by the United Kingdom government and the European Union which created the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“The consent principle is a cornerstone of the Belfast Agreement and it is my earnest desire that all sections of the community will soon be able to give consent to the restoration of a fully functioning Executive, through a resolution to the issues that have regrettably brought us to this point.”

There was emotion in Mr Givan’s voice as he added: “Most of all I want to thank my family, especially my wife Emma. It’s often those that we are close to in our families that feel the pressure, even more so than those of us in frontline politics.

“It wouldn’t have been possible without their support.”

Mr Givan’s resignation, which came into effect at midnight, automatically removes SF Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill from her job because, under power-sharing rules, one cannot hold office without the other.

Other Stormont ministers can remain in post but the Executive can no longer meet and is unable to take significant policy decisions.

——— ———

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

Editor