Northern Ireland Protocol and Windsor Framework: DUP meeting in 'chaos' as loyalist Jamie Bryson live tweets Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's comments from crunch event

The meeting was an opportunity for the party leadership to set out the progress they had made in talks with the government – and push for a deal to restore the Stormont institutions

Mr Bryson posted on X: “NEW: DUP Party Exec meeting live: JD just began speaking: Says negotiations are over, and DUP aren’t going to get anymore. Says we have reached moment of decision”.

This was soon followed by: “Meeting now halted. Anger that meeting is being live tweeted”.

He then posted “DUP meeting descends into mayhem. JD saying texts being sent to Jamie Bryson who is giving a blow by blow account to the meeting”.

Mr Bryson then said on X that police officers were being accused by some of the delegates of texting Mr Bryson details – and that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson defended the officers.

The meeting then resumed according to Jamie Bryson’s posts.

Mr Bryson’s tweets so far are as follows;-

JD just began speaking:

:: Says negotiations are over, and DUP aren’t going to get anymore. Says we have reached moment of decision.

:: He says after much deliberation time is now to bring it to wider party. They expected the Gov to now move with publishing legislation.

:: First challenge to JD - asked who was the policy making body within the party.

:: JD now complaining about leaks; he says every meeting he holds gets in the hands of the media in less than an hour. Says it impacts on way DUP do business and says it undermines trust. He says party therefore operating with constraints. 3/

:: JD now beginning presentation. Says this is product of negotiations with Gov. Says party always opposed Protocol.

:: Meeting now halted. Anger that meeting is being live tweeted.

:: DUP meeting descends into mayhem. JD saying texts being sent to Jamie Bryson who is giving a blow by blow account to the meeting.

:: MAYHEM in party Exec meeting. One DUP delegate accuses PSNI officers of being the leak.

:: JD defends police officers says “they are not messaging Jamie Bryson”

:: JD resuming presentation. DUP enforcers now looking around the rooms.

:: JD says in response to Windsor Framework DUP consulted. Unlike any other party. Name checks Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster

:: JD now discussing seven tests “designed to be the measure against which DUP would discuss any future arrangements”

:: JD says tests being misrepresented- now trying to escape from restoring the Acts of Union. Trying to explain away why his deal doesn’t restore the Acts of Union. First sign of DUP backing off.

Mr Bryson also claimed that contrary to media reports, the DUP Party Executive have NOT agreed to the deal, “but rather agreed to move to stage of informing party what is on table to then make a “collective decision”. No decision made to accept deal. “Trust me on this,” he said.

:: Party Chairman orders ‘PHONES OFF’

:: JD says effort to block phone signals hasn’t stopped the reporting from the meeting.

:: JD says there will still be checks and declarations on green lane.

:: JD still discussing legislation. Talking about reduction in checks.

:: DUP meeting is utter chaos and mayhem

:: JD says legislation will be published by Gov & SIs. Said Party Officers met last week & agree to the next stage of informing members as to “progress” (his word, wouldn’t be mine) reached

:: PSNI still being consulted by senior DUP HQ staff. They are trying to use technology to sweep the room

:: Back to important business: reaffirming Parliamentary sovereignty simply states the obvious; not restoring Art 6 but instead affirming a subjective ‘guarantee’ 27/

:: Lengthy power point will continue for a while. Two pieces of legislation to get through: constitutional and amendment to UK internal market act. In short, this is thin cruel. 28/

:: John Robinson has left the building. One delegate apparently smiles and mutters ‘some job today’

:: The legislation being outlined in the power point as ‘constitutional legislation’ doesn’t do anything of substance. A complete fig leaf. 30/

:: The UK Internal Market legislation not much better; they do know I presume the UK internal market act can’t be amended by SI? Absent from presentation so far

:: BBC reporting Party Exec have ‘already agreed’ on deal. Untrue. No they haven’t. What was said that they had agreed to move to the stage of informing members as the party would not have to “collectively make a decision”. Inaccurate reporting by BBC

:: DUP spinners trying to brief media Party Exec has agreed. NOT TRUE. Not what was said. BBC is wrong, and spinners are trying to mislead. Agreed to move to stage of informing members in order to THEN move to reaching a collective decision.

:: Still more effort to identify the source of sunlight rather than the detail. Power point continuity. Understand Gavin Robinson will deliver some of the presentation.

:: Party Chairman keeps sporadically shouting “PHONES OFF”. But someone reminds him some need to keep them on to monitor my Twitter. Presumably for those at the back who can’t hear

:: EU law will still apply.

:: The unionist and loyalist people have a right to know what is in the secret ‘deal’. It is important it is subject to scrutiny & many in DUP share that feeling. Tonight’s journalistic activity is serving an important public interest.

:: Claims of reductions on checks so “80% of goods” will flow freely. Seems to be defending a slimmed down Irish Sea border

:: This presentation is really extraordinary, it truly is. The effort to spin and u-turn is almost beyond belief. I’m still in amazement at the constitutional segment. UK internal market one not much better.

:: Claims of reductions on checks so “80% of goods” will flow freely. Seems to be defending a slimmed down Irish Sea border

:: Here Bryson retweets a message from TUV leader Jim Allister: “At a time of secrecy and concealment of what ‘the deal’ contains and, more significantly, what it evidently fails to do, it is a public service to have the veil lifted by the Bryson Broadcasting Corporation!”

Back to Bryson’s tweets again:

:: That DUP proponents of the deal tried to mislead media by misrepresenting Party Officers to try & bounce a deal is evidence in of itself as the necessity for sunlight on this scandal. This is the future of the Union. The people have a right to know.

:: JD focuses on NI-GB trade. Seems to fail to appreciate that’s not the issue. Sources say senior party members looking absolutely furious.

:: Is tonight delivering a serious blow to the supposed deal? The detail is now public, with more to come.

:: Shortly the floor will speak and make contributions

:: UK Gov will publish the legislation before DUP ‘jump’. This week expected

:: Meeting again getting angry with much grumbling

:: UK Gov will publish the legislation before DUP ‘jump’. This week expected

:: There will be contributions from the floor now. They won’t be reported for now. The important public interest was not internal party matters but rather the ‘deal’. That has now been exposed. Job done. Stand firm. Keep your word. ENDs.