Sir Jeffrey indicates Protocol progress will not be until New Year amid omicron battle
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has indicated that the renewed battle against Covid is partly to blame for pushing any action over the Protocol back into next year.
His remarks come in the wake of the resignation of top UK Brexit negotiator Lord Frost, and his replacement by Liz Truss.
Speaking to BBC Good Morning Ulster about what will happen next concerning the Protocol, Sir Jeffrey said: “At the moment, in terms of what we have to deal with Omicron, we have got enough to deal with about two or three weeks.”
He was also quoted as saying: “I have tried to be reasonable, I have given time and space to these negotiations... [but] the prime minister is faced with a choice, and I think that choice will come very early in the new year.”
The TUV issued a statement in the name of East Antrim candidate Norman Boyd, which said: “Sir Jeffery Donaldson’s new deadline for action on the Protocol - ‘very early in the New Year’ - simply underscores the weakness of his leadership of Unionism to date.
“Why would anyone take this seriously given that his deadline of action by the end of October passed without action?
“Making a political threat and then failing to follow it through means that the latest warning will be dismissed by Westminister and the EU.
“The time for treats and warnings is long over. The time for action was long ago.”
More from this reporter:
Click here; Man shot dead in west Belfast had recently beaten charges of blackmail and threats to kill
——— ———
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
With the coronavirus lockdowns having had a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.
Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.
Visit
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptionsnow to sign up.
Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.
Ben Lowry, Editor