Lord Dodds: Nationalists are denying themselves a say on economic issues affecting their constituents

His comments come ahead of a looming Assembly vote on the future of the Windsor Framework, which will not need cross-community support.

The removal of that safeguard has been described by some unionists as a return to majoritarianism.

Speaking to the News Letter at the DUP party conference, Lord Dodds said “​What I would say to nationalist friends and colleagues, and parties and otherwise, is they should seek to have the control over large swathes of our economy – just in the same way as unionists want that control.

“They are denying themselves in the Assembly, and at Westminster… the right to make the laws and have any input into changing laws about large swathes of the economy.

“They leave it to others in Brussels who make laws in their own interests. So how is that good for democracy? How is that in the interests of their constituents?

“It’s in the interests of everybody who believes in democracy to have those laws made either in Stormont or Westminster. That’s where the laws should be made.

“So I would say to nationalists – this is as much in your interests to get democratic control back into your hands, for your constituents, [rather] than leaving it to somebody else who doesn’t have your concerns at heart. That needs to be addressed by them, and those are the sort of questions that they should be faced up with”.

The arch-critic of the Safeguarding the Union deal also welcomed his party leader Gavin Robinson’s speech – including on the Protocol. Figures such as Lord Dodds, Sammy Wilson and Lord Morrow have long been outspoken about the deal, and along with others have shifted the party’s position on the issue significantly since Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigned.

“Gavin doesn’t shy away from or shirk issues”, he said – adding that he had “addressed the fundamental issue at heart of the Windsor Framework problem, which is our subjection to foreign laws without any input or say”.