Key week ahead for DUP as Sir Jeffrey consults unionists and loyalists and final decision looms

On Saturday, the Orange Order Grand Secretary Mervyn Gibson told the News Letter that people need to make up their own minds about a deal.

He said that the ask from unionists was still the same – but also said that the EU wouldn’t necessarily need to change legislation or regulations. He argued that a deal could be done with UK legislation and ‘reinterpretation’ from the European Union.

​The deal on offer is understood to include some easements on the Windsor Framework’s ‘green lane’ for goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain – as well as committees to protect and promote the UK internal market.

It will not include fundamental changes to the legal structures of the Windsor Framework – which would require a renegotiation. That is something both the UK government and the European Union have ruled out.

There have been calls over the weekend from loyalist groups to open any deal up to scrutiny from the public and legal experts.

It is unclear at this stage who Sir Jeffrey will meet with – however it seems likely there will be engagement with the Orange Order and perhaps the Loyalist Communities Council.

With the broad parameters of a deal widely discussed – many will have already made up their minds on whether it is enough for the DUP to return to power-sharing.

Pressure has been put on individual DUP MPs and MLAs by anti-protocol campaigners – and unionist and loyalist groups will have varying views on what is acceptable.

The exact position of each member of the DUP officer team on a deal is still unclear. However, the most ardent opponents Sammy Wilson MP and Lord Dodds are not alone in their opposition. DUP politicians such as Edwin Poots, Carla Lockhart and Gregory Campbell may ultimately decide whether a deal will be ratified by the party or not.

On Friday a DUP spokesperson said: “We will not give a running commentary on our position, save to say, we will continue to engage with the government.”

What the government could yet offer that hasn’t so far satisfied opponents of a deal remains unclear. Amid heightened speculation that a deal was imminent – TUV leader Jim Allister posted on social media platform X: “Unionism has had enough humiliation without returning to Stormont with its tail between it legs to implement the Union-dismantling protocol – meaning GB a foreign country in terms of trade, EU law rules, the Irish Sea border stays and all-Ireland economy turbo charged. Whatever the financial bung and other fig leaves, a return without one word of the protocol being removed or one syllable of EU law disapplied and Art 6 still suspended, would mean never again will NI be a full part of the UK.”

Alliance MLA Sorcha Eastwood is critical of any further consultation on the deal. The Lagan Valley MLA told the News Letter: “That the decision as to whether or not the people of Northern Ireland have a government has been outsourced to what can be described as ‘private interest groups’ at best is shocking. The crunch time has passed, the decision time has passed – leaders lead, ditherers dither.

“A true leader calls it and makes the decision. The fact that the people of Northern Ireland are hurting and being damaged by this DUP boycott will be further compounded by this abdication of leadership and ‘consultation’. There is nothing more to consult on; form a government now and if you are unwilling, support our calls for the reform of the institutions to enable those of us who want to do the job, to do the job so we can deliver for people who so badly need it.”

The DUP has said for months that any deal must meet its seven tests and restore Northern Ireland’s place in the UK and its internal market – and accused the Alliance Party of ignoring the legitimate unionist concerns.

Speaking on the BBC yesterday, the political journalist Adam Payne from Politics Home reported a government source saying that they had “gave the DUP the moon and more”. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Morning View & letters, p10