My party doesn’t give way to pressure, says Sir Jeffrey Donaldson after Steve Baker claimed DUP is being pressurised by small number of unelected, hardline 'really important opinion formers' to stay out of Stormont assembly

Attending the investment conference in Belfast, Sir Jeffrey responded to comments from Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, who said the DUP is being pressurised by a small number of hardliners to stay out of the Stormont assembly.

Sir Jeffrey said: “My party doesn’t give way to pressure, whether it is from the minister or anyone else. We have been consistent in our position, that has not changed. We have outlined our position to the Government on numerous occasions. We are engaged with the Government on an ongoing basis to resolve the issues that have given rise to the problems for Northern Ireland. I have been dealing this week, indeed this morning, with a local business having major problems getting goods into Northern Ireland, stopped at customs, even though those goods were manufactured in Great Britain and are for sale exclusively in Northern Ireland.”

He added: “I live in the real world, I recognise the problems that we have, the challenges that we face and I am looking for solutions.”

Dual market

Sir Jeffrey said that dual market access can work for Northern Ireland only if trading issues with the rest of the UK are solved. He said: “The Windsor Framework does represent some progress in some areas, but in reality it doesn’t address and resolve all of the difficulties faced by businesses.”

He added: “I am in the business of resolving those difficulties and making it easier for businesses to access our biggest market, which is Great Britain.

“Dual market access can work for Northern Ireland if we genuinely have that unfettered access to our biggest market. Having that access to our own market is fundamentally important to our economy.”

‘Megaphone diplomacy’

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said “megaphone diplomacy” from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was not helpful in Northern Ireland.

Giving an update on recent negotiations over post-Brexit trading arrangements, he said: “I am engaged with the UK Government and it is they who need to bring forward the solutions, and I know that they are talking also to the European Union about that.

“I can tell you that we have made progress in identifying the outstanding issues which need to be resolved but we haven’t yet got the solutions.”

Sir Jeffrey responded to recent comments from Mr Varadkar, who said that negotiations to restore Stormont were moving at a “snail’s pace” and also that he believed he would see Irish unity in his lifetime.

Sir Jeffrey said: “My advice to the Taoiseach is very clear. His interventions recently have not been helpful. He is planning for failure, I am not.

“He talks about a Plan B, I am focused on Plan A, which is getting this right for the people of Northern Ireland.

“Unlike the Taoiseach, I have a mandate from the people to do this, to pursue the solutions that we need, and then we’ll get the institutions up and running.

“This megaphone diplomacy by Leo Varadkar is not helpful and I think he should reflect on the harm he is doing.”

Naomi Long

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said Sir Jeffrey would have to face down his critics if he wanted to lead his party back into the Stormont assembly.

Speaking at the investment conference in Belfast, she said: “I think there are those in the broad unionist family who do not want the DUP to go back into government.

“How much that is influencing the DUP in terms of their decision-making I can’t judge, but there is certainly something which is keeping them out of government right now.

“At the end of the day, there will always be a spectrum of views and Jeffrey will eventually have to face down critics if he wants to lead his party back into the Assembly.

“I just hope that he has the drive and the determination to do that, and to do it quickly because things are getting pretty serious at this point. I just don’t think it is sustainable for much longer.”