DUP are ‘a day late and a dollar short’ with Brexit protests says Empey

The DUP had earlier said that it would “examine the details” of the UK-EU trade accord, revealed on Christmas Day.

The main upshot of the 1,246-page deal is that there will be no tariffs or quotas between the EU and UK, and the Commons will convene on Wednesday to debate it.

The DUP statement last night said that while it will vote against this deal in the Commons, it does nothing to change the existing NI Protocol which was “imposed” upon the Province against its will.

The protocol was drawn up in October 2019 and basically means checks will be needed on goods flowing from Great Britain into the Province – the de facto “Irish Sea border” which unionists had feared.

The DUP statement said it will reject the trade accord “as a point of principle, and not because we supported a no-deal option”.

It added: “A free trade deal is better than no-deal, but for Northern Ireland this deal does not undo the detrimental aspects of the Protocol.”

Lord Empey, a stern critic of the DUP’s handling of Brexit, last night reiterated that the sea border created by the Protocol is “the biggest strategic mistake since partition” as far as unionists are concerned.

He said the time for action from the DUP was October 2019, and that opposing the new trade accord now is mere “play-acting” which will alter nothing.

“They’re a day late and a dollar short,” Sir Reg said.

“This deal [the trade accord] is not the problem for Northern Ireland.

“The problem is the Protocol.

“Their opportunity to oppose Mr Johnson was then, when they held the balance of power.

“And instead, on that date, they endorsed the deal that he had proposed to the EU for the Protocol.

“The problem NI has is not the current deal he has done in the last few days; the problem we have is that the Protocol continues.

“It’s all just a lot of nonsense... For them to be beating their chests now about opposing this deal, it’s too late.

“They had the chance. They could’ve stopped the protocol in its tracks.”

He said “there hasn’t been a single word of apology” from the DUP over its handling of Brexit.

Whilst the NI Assembly can vote to remove its consent for the Protocol in four years’ time, this will be done on a simple majority basis with no ability to use a petition-of-concern, said Lord Empey.

Such an arrangement favours anti-Brexit parties who are likely to keep the Protocol in place – Sinn Fein, SDLP, and Alliance.

The vote in the Commons tomorrow is all-but a done deal; the Tory government enjoys a de facto majority of 85 votes, meaning even if the DUP’s eight MPs join forces with all other non-Tory MPs, they will still muster only 279 votes against 364.

Speaker of the NI Assembly Alex Maskey has also been asked to call a similar session in Stormont; nobody could be reached last night to confirm if he plans to do this.

More recent stories from this reporter on Brexit:

Click here: Ian Paisley: Unionists need to drop wrist-slashing pessimism over Brexit

Click here: Ferocious UUP–DUP clash on Brexit and Union with Empey calling for resignations

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