Sinn Fein attend Westminster once a month and have coffee in the canteen - Colum Eastwood

Questioned on the BBC's Nolan Show about the difference between his party and Sinn Fein on Gaza, Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said the difference is "I'm going to say it in Parliament. I'm going to go and vote for it. I'm going to do something about it.

When it was put to him by Stephen Nolan that Sinn Fein go to Westminster, they just don't take their seats, Mr Eastwood said: "They're on a bit of a rota. They come once a month and sit and have coffee in the canteen. That's what Sinn Fein do in Westminster. They're not counted, they're not taken seriously.

"Nobody even knows who their MPs are over there. That's... not a criticism. I totally respect their right to be abstentionists. I don't understand it. I don't get it. I think people want you to go and stand up and vote and speak on issues like Gaza and everything else. I think people are quite happy that finally we have people there who are doing that."

Sinn Fein MPs do not take their seats in Parliament as the refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the monarch. They are therefore not entitled to full pay – but are able to claim for expenses such as travel, accommodation and office and staff costs.

DUP MPs have raised Sinn Fein’s boycott of the national institutions on various occasions in Parliament. Last year, when the DUP was under intense pressure over its own boycott of the institutions at Stormont, the North Antrim DUP MP Ian Paisley raised the issue in Parliament with the outgoing Secretary of State.

Mr Paisley said: “On the issue of his numerous meetings – I believe dozens of meetings now with Sinn Fein – can the Secretary of State explain to the House if he has taken now the opportunity to challenge Sinn Fein about their boycott of the institutions here and when is he asking them to come back here and do their job here?”.

Chris Heaton-Harris said the views of the government on people who don’t turn up to Parliament are well known, but said he has to work with all parties.