Loyalist Jamie Bryson vows campaign against Irish Sea Border is far from over as he hints DUP could be target for protests

In a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday morning Mr Bryson said it would be easy for unionists opposed to post Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland to be despondent and feel betrayed.

But he said there would be ‘new opportunities’ to oppose the Protocol and the Irish Sea Border.

“There is something more than a little disingenuous of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson dismissing and demeaning those he campaigned with on platforms, and by extension all those who joined those marches and protesters,” posted Mr Bryson.

“The attitude now is that none of that matters, that it was only the DUP who secured what they term ‘progress’. The rest of us, and I refer to everyone who campaigned for many years - long before the DUP joined in - all count for nothing.

“The resentment being built up by that attitude is going to store up problems down the line.

“That in any event is a very dishonest narrative, and there will be a great many people who find that dismissal of all those who contributed - including in building support for the DUP when they had taken a stand - almost as unbelievable as the monumental u-turn on the Protocol and Irish Sea border.

“However, for those of us who opposed the Protocol and Irish Sea border from the very start and always argued unionism should never implement it, there is new opportunities.

“The DUP have now taken ownership of the Irish Sea border and implementing the Protocol. Whatever they say; that’s the reality as will become very apparent.

“That means there are now locally accountable politicians who are responsible for the Irish Sea border and Protocol.

“Stormont provides a mountain of accountability measures whereby all Protocol implementers can be consistently challenged and one by one, all false claims exposed.”

"That provides a unique opportunity not only to be able to hold locally elected politicians accountable for Protocol implementation, but also to use the procedures available to hold the DUP to account and hold them to every single one of their claims.”

The Loyalist blogger said promises from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and DUP MP Gavin Robinson that there would be “zero checks and zero customs paperwork for goods destined for Northern Ireland” would be exposed as false.

Mr Bryson continued: “We are essentially back to Jan 21 when the DUP said the Protocol and Irish Sea border “was not a constitutional issue” and had “opportunities”.

“Those who now own the Irish Sea border and Protocol can no longer blame London, they are now responsible for the constitutional consequences and harm being inflicted.

“It will be a battle a day. Already, the joint FMs have been asked when they will be tabling a paper in regards zero checks and dismantling border control posts.

“They have also been asked to confirm whether DUP Ministers will comply with EU Regulation 2017/625 and Official Control (NI) Regulations 2023 which requires implanting an Irish Sea border and treating NI as EU territory.

“This is the uncomfortable territory the DUP have put themselves in. The huge ‘oversell’ may have worked as a strategy to bounce the deal over the line. They maxed out their credibility credit card. But now the proponents of the deal have to pay up, their credit has run out. It’s time to pay the debts incurred by your mountain of promises.

“And they can rest assured that me, Jim Allister and many others will be there to collect the debt.”