​Only one chance to effect change to NI Protocol so talks ‘critical’: Lord Dodds

There has been widespread opposition to the deal agreed between the UK and the EU, which has created a trade border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

At the weekend, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party’s negotiations with the government can conclude "as soon as the government bring forward the final elements of the solution that is required".

On Sunday, Lord Dodds said: “Amidst the speculation about talks on the Protocol/Windsor Framework, one thing is very clear – whatever is agreed as the outcome will be the final agreement. “There will be no realistic prospect of any further substantive change afterwards.

"There will be absolutely no appetite on the part of anyone in the UK Government or anywhere else to revisit these issues.

"Promises of monitoring and future reviews will be made but everyone knows that there will be no substantive change. This makes the current discussions so critical.” Lord Dodds said that settling for anything short of “what is needed to undo the constitutional and economic harm done to Northern Ireland by the Protocol/Windsor Framework would be disastrous”.He said that is why his party is “concentrating on getting the right outcome,” and added: “There might be future levers to pull which are not apparent at present. But it’s crystal clear that there is simply no way the other parties in the Assembly or Executive will ever want to seek further change in the way that unionists would wish. It would simply be vetoed.”

The former MP for North Belfast went on to say: “Of course no such cross-community vote is afforded to unionists as regards the Assembly decision at the end of 2024 on the Protocol/Windsor Framework’s continued application.

"Legislation was pushed through by Statutory Instrument in December 2020 to rig the vote and remove the cross community element.

"Thus the fundamental constitutional issues at the heart of unionist objections to the Protocol/Windsor Framework must be resolved now.

"There will be no second chance.”

Last week, NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris indicated that he believes the talks with the DUP are in the "final phase".He said: "I believe we can get them over the line. I want to get them over the line. I quite believe that Jeffrey Donaldson wants to also do that. I think it's fair to say that the Prime Minister is well engaged in this process as well."

Sir Jeffrey said his party and the government is "in the process of refining legislation" that protects Northern Ireland's ability to trade within the UK.He said the gaps that remain are around legislation.

Addressing reporters at a Fine Gael conference in Co Kildare at the weekend, taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "We still believe it's possible to have the executive and assembly, all institutions of the Good Friday Agreement up and running, perhaps the next few weeks, perhaps in the new year.”

In a separate statement, Mr Varadkar said the Irish Government would be “happy to contribute” to any financial package that would support the return of the powersharing institutions at Stormont.

However, a TUV spokesman said: "Any unionist who reneges on their solemn pledge of Ulster Day 2021 that it is their ‘unalterable position that the Protocol must be rejected and replaced by arrangements which fully respect Northern Ireland’s position as a constituent and integral part of the United Kingdom’ will find themselves on the wrong side of unionist opinion which remains resolutely opposed to the partition of the United Kingdom.”

He added: "It is important to remember as well that if there are unionists contemplating welshing on their pledges to the unionist people they have no mandate for doing so and they would be honour bound to take their case to the people before forming an Executive under a Sinn Fein First Minister."