Election results give DUP a 'renewed mandate' for boycott of Stormont: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

The DUP leader said that while his party remained committed to seeing the power-sharing executive restored, it required “solid foundations”.

Sir Jeffrey’s comments came just hours after it emerged that the head of the NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady, had written to the leaders of the four largest parties, inviting them to discuss the “governance gap” that exisits in the absence of a properly functioning devolved administration.

Although Sinn Fein were the big winners with a total of 144 seats across the 11 councils – becoming the largest party in local government for the first time – the DUP has celebrated retaining all of its 122 seats.

Sir Jeffrey said the DUP is seeking further steps from the UK Government to ease its trading and political concerns about the Northern Ireland Protocol before it commits to a Stormont return.

Appearing at Stormont where he was flanked by a number of his MPs and MLAs, Sir Jeffrey said voters had given his party a “renewed mandate to go back to the Government and seek the solutions that we need on the Northern Ireland Protocol, to restore our place within the United Kingdom and our ability to trade with the rest of the UK.”

He added: “I believe the mandate we have been given in the council is a mandate to finish the job.

“That means getting Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom restored, protected in law and getting Stormont back up and running and delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.”

NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris recently set a budget for the region in the absence of devolved ministers at Stormont.

Several Stormont departments have since warned they are facing significant monetary challenges.

Ms Brady told the leaders of the four parties entitled to form an executive, that the budget settlement "will inevitably cause enduring harm to public service delivery, society and the economy".

In her letter seen by the PA news agency, which was sent in advance of the local government elections, Ms Brady said the budget situation remains "extremely challenging".

She added: "It remains the collective view of myself and permanent secretary colleagues that the budget outcome will inevitably cause enduring harm to public service delivery, society and the economy. The budget challenge is compounded by a governance gap."

Ms Brady said draft guidance issued by Mr Heaton-Harris did not materially change the limitations on civil servants to make decisions on funding issues. She added: "That law leaves beyond departments' powers some decisions – decisions that would 'turn civil servants into ministers'."

Her letter continued: "For some departments, remaining within budget allocations would require decisions which cannot be taken in the absence of ministers.

"This leaves the relevant accounting officers in the invidious position of having no lawful means to ensure full compliance with the duty to remain within budget limits.”

Ms Brady said that even if an Executive were to be established, it is "highly likely that the financial position would remain very challenging".

At Monday’s press conference, Sir Jeffrey said: “We’re committed to seeing this place (Stormont) properly restored and functioning and delivering.

“Whether that is more effective, more efficient public services, whether that’s tackling the problems with our public finances.

“We will be at Westminster making the case to the Treasury and we will be here preparing for the restoration of the Assembly – but on a solid foundation.

"Progress in Northern Ireland is only made with the support of unionists and nationalists. Whatever changes have taken place during the election, that reality remains a constant.”

Alliance party leader Naomi Long has said prospects for unionism are “bleak” if the DUP fail to return to Stormont over problems the party has with the Windsor Framework.

“I don’t know what the DUP strategy in this is because logic would dictate that they would have gone back in after the Windsor framework,” she said.

“And this would be as good a time as any for them to say that they have the authority to come back into Stormont, but who knows, because it seems that they are holding out for something that is impossible, for government to tell them that there will be no change, when unfortunately, the word continues to turn and change continues to happen, and it’s their job to adapt to change.

“So I don’t know when the DUP will come back, or if they will come back. But I do know that for unionism, the alternative to not coming back is fairly bleak.”