Jim Allister: Unionists must stand together against 'betrayal' - if it comes - as the DUP faces decision on Stormont return

The DUP’s party officers will meet today as they face a decision over whether enough has been achieved in talks with the government about removing the Irish Sea border for a return to power-sharing.

Commenting on the news Jim Allister said: “The test for Unionism of any deal on the restoration of devolution remains the mandate on which the DUP fought not one but two elections - their seven tests. If, as I suspect, not one word of the Protocol has changed and Sir Jeffrey pushes his party back into Stormont then a false bill of goods was sold to the Unionist people. The DUP have no mandate to go into a Sinn Fein lead executive in such circumstances.

“This is a defining moment for Unionism. If the Protocol is accepted by the DUP then they will have accepted that never again will Northern Ireland be fully part of the United Kingdom. Should that prove to be the case, it will be time for all Unionists who see the folly of such to stand together to resist betrayal.”

Loyalist Jamie Bryson, NI Director of the Centre for the Union said: “Sir Jeffrey Donaldson stood on platforms and made fundamental promises. Indeed, every DUP elected representative who stood on a manifesto commitment that they would remove the Irish Sea Border and restore Article 6 of the Acts of Union. They have no mandate for surrender.

“It is an insult to unionists that it is expected that our community will seriously ever accept a simply re-branded Irish Sea Border. They can call it the King Billy lane if they want. The key issue is whether the Protocol and Framework remains, and it is clear they will.

“If anyone thinks that principled unionists who have fought the pernicious Protocol from the very start are all of a sudden going to give up if Sir Jeffrey and a couple of other party officers wave the white flag and adopt the role of collaborators in implementing the subjugation of the Union.

“It will be a battle a day, and every unionist who surrenders will be challenged day in day out to justify what they have done. They will never be allowed to forget what they have done to the Union that so many fought and died to defend.”