Jeffrey Donaldson backs Arlene Foster over her Irish Sea border stance

Sir Jeffrey spoke yesterday morning to dismiss suggestions that he and other senior DUP figures are at variance with Mrs Foster who last week signalled explicitly that it was time to move from fighting the imposition of an Irish Sea border to implementing it and seeking to mitigate some of what it will entail.

Mrs Foster’s comments, which came in an interview with Sky News broadcast last Friday, caused consternation in parts of the party and led to Westminster chief whip Sammy Wilson issuing a statement which made clear that the party was still attempting to undo Boris Johnson’s deal.

Then on Monday night the DUP released a remarkable unsigned statement which set out a position contrary to that which the party leader had articulated in her interview. The statement said the DUP was “still arguing that in these negotiations the Withdrawal Agreement must be scrapped or changed”.

That night Sir Jeffrey retweeted a comment by Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates that what the DUP was now saying was unlike Mrs Foster’s stance. However, he then deleted that retweet.

The Lagan Valley MP is widely seen within the DUP as the leading candidate to take over as leader when Mrs Foster goes but some DUP members dismayed by her leadership and disillusioned about the direction in which unionism is heading are disappointed that he has not come out to challenge her.

Yesterday Sir Jeffrey was asked on Good Morning Ulster if Mrs Foster had a different view. He said: “There’s only one train of thought in the DUP and that is reflected in the statement published last night, which was agreed by the party leader and by our leadership team generally.”

He insisted Mrs Foster’s comments to Sky did not relate to the prospect of a customs border in the Irish Sea: “We’ve rejected that completely and will continue to oppose vigorously any move to create a customs border in the Irish Sea because it would be harmful for businesses, but also it would drive up the cost to the consumer in Northern Ireland and that is unacceptable.

“Arlene was very clear that we have and continue to oppose the elements of the Northern Ireland protocol that would require a customs border in the Irish Sea. That has consistently been our position and that position won’t be changing.”

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