DUP to ‘sit tight and wait’ over Stormont

The party believes it would be “months not weeks” while they see a fresh bill that will alter parts of the protocol going through Parliament.

As Foreign Secretary Liz Truss prepares to lay out the legislation in Parliament later today, the DUP appears to be entering into a long game of scrutiny as the bill goes through the Commons and the House of Lords where the party expects it will meet resistance.

On a visit to east Belfast yesterday evening, Boris Johnson confirmed that the government has no desire to ditch the protocol in its entirety.

“We don’t want to scrap it but we think it can be fixed,” the prime minister said.

Mr Johnson described the proposed changes to the protocol contained in Ms Truss’ legislation as “an insurance policy” in case further negotiations with the EU fail to reach a deal.

He also said MLAs should not receive their full salaries if the Assembly’s closure is prolonged.

“We would love this to be done in a consensual way with our friends and partners in Brussels, ironing out the problems, stopping some of the barriers to goods crossing from Great Britain into the Province.”

He added: “But to get that done, to have the insurance, we need to proceed with a legislative solution at the same time.”

Speaking after his meeting earlier yesterday with the prime minister at Hillsborough Castle, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he made it clear to Mr Johnson that “the time for talking is over. This is time for action. Not one unionist MLA supports the protocol”.