Loyalist Communities Council letter to unionist leaders: Demands on Northern Ireland Protocol, Irish ministerial visits and unionist unity

The Loyalist Communities Council has written to unionist leaders setting out demands on the NI Protocol, Irish ministers and unionist unity.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The letter was sent by Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) chairman David Campell on Thursday to unionist leaders.Mr Campbell told the News Letter: "The letter reflects growing impatience over the Protocol, the need for unionist cooperation at an election if called, and the calls from others for Joint Sovereignty."The LCC was launched in 2015 by Tony Blair’s former chief of staff Jonathan Powell who said they were the “one issue we never addressed successfully” during the peace process.

It includes leaders of loyalist terror groups the UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The full text of the letter is included below. The PSNI and Stormont parties have been invited to comment on it.

Pacemaker Press 19-04-2021:  David Campbell and David McNarry of the Loyalist Communities Council organised a symbolic peaceful protest event against the NI Protocol outside the offices of the Irish government secretariat, in Belfast. Victims campaigner Gareth McCord pictured at the peaceful protest. Tells David Campbell and David McNarry to take the protest to Downing Street. 
Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.Pacemaker Press 19-04-2021:  David Campbell and David McNarry of the Loyalist Communities Council organised a symbolic peaceful protest event against the NI Protocol outside the offices of the Irish government secretariat, in Belfast. Victims campaigner Gareth McCord pictured at the peaceful protest. Tells David Campbell and David McNarry to take the protest to Downing Street. 
Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.
Pacemaker Press 19-04-2021: David Campbell and David McNarry of the Loyalist Communities Council organised a symbolic peaceful protest event against the NI Protocol outside the offices of the Irish government secretariat, in Belfast. Victims campaigner Gareth McCord pictured at the peaceful protest. Tells David Campbell and David McNarry to take the protest to Downing Street. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker.

Dear Unionist Party Leader,

I have been asked to write to you on behalf of the undersigned unionist and loyalistcoalitions, and the Loyalist Communities Council, which together represent a vastnumber of grassroots unionists and loyalists across Northern Ireland.

As the threat of an election looms, we feel it important to reiterate our view thatthere can be no weakening or ‘backsliding’ on the clear and unambiguouscommitments made to our community by political unionism in relation to the Protocol,and its impact upon the political and peace process.

There should be absolutely no confusion as to what is required in order to preservethe peace and political stability that we have all come to enjoy post 1998.In summary, any solution to the Protocol requires the following:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

(i) The full restoration of Article VI of the Acts of Union. We endorse the viewof the late Lord Trimble: “the Act of Union is the Union”. The restoration ofArticle VI requires that Northern Ireland no longer be subject to EU law orthe jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. It follows that NI being inthe EU single market whilst the rest of the UK is not, is incompatible withthe ‘equal footing’ guarantee in Article VI.

(ii) The principle of consent put on a reformed statutory footing in a mannerwhich reflects the basis upon which unionism and loyalism agreed to theBelfast Agreement; namely that the principle of consent operated toprotect the substance rather than merely the symbolism of NorthernIreland’s constitutional status. For the avoidance of all doubt,‘constitutional status’ must be taken to encompass the Acts of Union.

(iii) A clear statutory protection to ensure that any regulations to replace theProtocol’s present provisions, made pursuant to the provisions of theNorthern Ireland Protocol Bill, must be compatible with the Acts of Union.In the absence of these clear tests being satisfied, there is no basis for powersharing in Northern Ireland and the grassroots unionist and loyalist community arefirmly united behind this message.

A solution that merely reduces, or even completely eradicates, Irish Sea borderchecks is insufficient. The checks are a symptom of the fundamental constitutionalincompatibility of the Protocol, which is occasioned by NI being left subject to EU lawand effectively, as set out by McCloskey LJ in Allister et al: “more in the EU…thanthe UK”.Further, we have significant concerns that our unionist leaders are seeminglywelcoming Irish Government Ministers to Northern Ireland and engaging with themon Strand One (internal NI) issues.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It can not be forgotten how Messrs Varadkar and Coveney used the threat of IRAbombs for political leverage. The anger and offence to the many victims ofrepublican bombing campaigns caused by this irresponsible rhetoric not onlypersists, but continues to increase and we are yet to receive any apology or sign ofcontrition from the Irish Government

The continued presence of Irish Government Ministers visiting ‘sanitised audiences’in Northern Ireland continues to inflame anger and tension in loyalist communities,and we would strongly urge that unionist political leaders make clear that the IrishGovernment should not be visiting Northern Ireland whilst the Protocol remains,unless and until there is a significant change of attitude and recognition of thelegitimate interests of the unionist and loyalist community.

In addition, the recent suggestions from Sinn Fein and Alliance as to joint-authorityhas raised tensions yet further. All our activists are working tirelessly within localcommunities to restrain loyalists from lashing out in unproductive ways. This work isbeing made extremely difficult when it is now suggested that the whole basis ofpeace and the Belfast Agreement, namely the principle of consent, is to be evenfurther overridden by imposing upon the unionist community joint-authority as a‘punishment’ for daring to demand equality under the Agreement.

It is difficult to put into words the tension which this has created, and we would hopeunionist leaders would send a clear and unequivocal message in regards to thisissue. The message from loyalism should be heard and understood clearly: there areno circumstances in which joint-authority would be tolerated, and any effort toimpose it would inevitably have dire consequences for the progress made from 1994onwards.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In such circumstances, loyalist activists who have worked tirelessly for peace (evenin the most trying of circumstances, such as the injustice of the Protocol) would bepowerless to prevent an unprecedented reaction. It would greatly assist our efforts atmaintaining stability if our government can firmly reject any move towards jointauthority, as they have had to do on previous occasionsFinally, we would urge strong unionist co-operation throughout any snap electionwhich may be called, with all unionist candidates firmly behind the message that thechoice is a binary one: power sharing or the Protocol. The failure to co-operate inMay led directly to Sinn Fein becoming the largest Party. This can not be allowed tobe repeated.There can be no return to Stormont whilst the Protocol remains in place.

Yours faithfully,DAVID CAMPBELL