Unionist parties won’t be rushed to a decision over Windsor Framework

In a statement last night, a DUP spokesman reiterated what party leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson had said earlier in the week.

The spokesman said: “We will carefully consider the Windsor Framework. The objective in London and Brussels should be to get this right rather than rushed. The wrong deal will not restore powersharing but will cement division.”

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who was in NI yesterday, backed the Prime Minister’s decision not to rus h the DUP, adding that the deal provided a "real opportunity" to get Stormont up and running again.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said: "Unionism should not repeat the mistakes of the past by rushing to reject something out of hand. We must take our time to fully interrogate the information."

While both the DUP and UUP have reserved judgement on the deal it has faced criticism from a range of unionists including the DUP’s own Ian Paisley, loyalist activist Jamie Bryson, and TUV leader Jim Allister, who couldn’t understand the delay in the DUP recognising the deal was not in the interests of unionism.

Secretary of State Chris Heaton- Harris was a lot more positive on the new deal, telling Good Morning Ulster that it is “unbelievably different and novel in just about every way".

He also said: "We are clear that Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom is secure."

Meanwhile Loyalist Communities Council chairman David Campbell said there is "a credible threat" of violence if the constitutional position of NI is changed without unionist consent.