Stormont boycott the 'only leverage' unionists have to resist Windsor Framework: TUV

Responding to NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris’s confirmation that the new post-Brexit trading regulations will be in force by the autumn, Bannside councillor Timothy Gaston said the minimal changes already in place had shown government assurances to be of little value.

The framework was unveiled by the UK Government and the EU in February, but the DUP has not yet been persuaded to return to Stormont.

Cllr Gaston said it was vital that unionists were not “willing participants in their own destruction”.

He said: "With the government pressing ahead with implementing the protocol without any substance changes I don't see how the Secretary of State can expect a return to Stormont any time soon.

"The spin around the so-called Windsor Framework quickly evaporated as the reality of how minimal the changes were hit home. With the Secretary of State refusing to apologise about his blatantly untrue comments about plants from GB being able to now come freely to NI and the government having to purge a Westminster committee of MPs who would ask awkward questions about postal arrangements from the mainland events of recent days have merely reinforced the point that unionists cannot give ground.”

Cllr Gaston added: "It is vital to remember that Stormont is the only leverage which unionists have on Westminster and once it is given up and unionists meekly agree to serve as protocol implementers in a Sinn Fein lead Executive the campaign against the protocol is over. The government must be forced to realise that unionists will not be willing participants in their own destruction."

Also responding to Mr Heaton-Harris’s recent assurances, DUP peer Nigel Dodds said on Twitter, Lord Dodds said: “His Govt sacked MPs from a committee to force through building of Irish Sea border. Dozens of Statutory Instruments are being passed under protocol to reinforce NI separation from rest of UK. Yet he talks of new law to reassure unionists. Inconsistent”.