Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland welcomes DUP to summit on strengthening UK ties
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland has said it is looking forward to welcoming a DUP delegation to a summit in Edinburgh tomorrow to strengthen ties between the home nations of the UK.
On Monday, the leaders of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin met in Wales, where they claimed that the breakup of the UK is imminent.
SNP leader John Swinney, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill met in Cardiff to declare jointly that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end”.
However Irish Premier Micheál Martin later suggested Sinn Féin may have set back the cause of Irish unity by aligning itself with Scottish and Welsh pro-independence parties.
DUP MLAs Phillip Brett, Diane Forsythe and Cheryl Brownlee are travelling to Scotland to take part in the ‘Shared Heritage, Shared Future’ summit with the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland.
Chaired by high-profile Scottish businesswoman Dr Marie Macklin CBE, the summit will bring together voices from Northern Ireland and Scotland for discussions on constitutional matters, cultural connections, and opportunities for ongoing cooperation. Following the event, all participants will be invited to a full evaluation meeting to discuss outcomes, share reflections, and identify next steps.
Plans will also be discussed about networking with like-minded groups in Wales and Scotland, he added.
Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland, Andrew Murray, said: "This Summit demonstrates what the Orange Institution stands for - meaningful engagement, genuine dialogue, and a commitment to strengthening the ties that bind us as Unionists across the UK. We're delighted to welcome our colleagues from Northern Ireland and look forward to a substantive discussion about our shared heritage, our common values, and the future of our Union.
On Tuesday Micheal Martin questioned whether Sinn Féin was on the right strategic track.
“I’m not into campaigning, but I would make the point that strategically we have never embroiled Northern Ireland in British politics," he said. “We’ve always identified the north as exceptional, as being an issue in terms of the partition of Ireland.
“And I think strategically I’m not clear that Sinn Féin is on the right track at all, and may even set back unity by that move that they’ve made.”