WATCH: 'No threat' to future of the Union: What did Doug Beattie and Mike Nesbitt actually say about the Northern Ireland Protocol?

Both interviews were conducted with the BBC – the first on the Sunday Politics TV show, the second with Vinny Hurrell on the Stephen Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster on Monday morning.

The News Letter has emphasised some of the key moments in bold.

Speaking on Sunday, UUP leader Doug Beattie said that, as far as Northern Ireland is concerned, "the biggest fish to fry at this moment in time is to try and get the Protocol dealt with".

He added that "in 2019 we told them [the DUP] they were making mistakes, that the Protocol is a bad deal, that the Protocol would not work".

Asked if he would accept the idea of red-and-green lanes to help streamline Protocol checks at Northern Irish ports, Mr Beattie replied:

"We were the ones who raised the issue of red and green lanes back in February 2019, well before the Protocol even came on the stage...

"There does need to be checks on that [goods going into the EU]. We accept that. Where those checks take place, why does it have to be Belfast and Larne? Why can't it be Liverpool and Stranraer to take the sting out of it a little bit?...

"We're not comfortable with border checkpoints, we never have been... but we do accept red lane goods need to be checked.”

Mr Beattie went on to add: “I'm a really confident unionist mark and I'm genuine when I say that.

"I'm a whole UK unionist. A unionist for Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales.

"No one thing like this is going to destroy the Union I believe in.

"We have to come round with ways of dealing with problems like that. My union is not going to be destroyed by this but it's simply not right to have an Irish Sea border...”

Asked if the Protocol was not “an existential threat to Union,” Mr Beattie responded:

"I don't think there's a threat. I think we'll come up, and we have to come up, with solutions.”

Whilst “we've never supported the Protocol” he said that we can come up with measures that “safeguard” NI’s agri and dairy industry.

– AND MIKE NESBITT’S INTERVIEW THIS MORNING –

And on the Nolan Show on Monday, former UUP leader (from 2012 to 2017) Mike Nesbitt – a current Strangford MLA – was asked if he agreed with Doug Beattie’s views on the Protocol

"I do agree with him,” he said.

"I’ve also told you that I agree – I understand, I should say – that many, many, many unionists see the Protocol as a crisis…

“Perception can be everything in Northern Ireland… that's why I want to see them addressed and why I want to downgrade the Protocol from a crisis to a challenge.

"And as I said already challenges are what politics is about overcoming.

"We have these competing rights and that’s all there it is, and there’s always a tension between competing rights.

"So you’ve the right of the UK to decide how we trade internally between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. And remember we’ve always had checks on certain goods moving into NI from GB, and sometimes we’re very pleased and very glad to have those checks; [I’m] thinking of the last time there was a foot and mouth crisis.

"But that is a tension with the EU’s right to protect the integrity of their single market.”

He went on to say that if members of the public were quizzed about the Protocol on the street, “I’m not sure you’d get universally in depth and correct answers”.

"But again it comes back to perception,” he said.

"We do not accept the Protocol. No unionist politician is going to try for one millisecond to sell the Protocol to any unionist voter.

"What we’re looking for is an alternative to the Protocol that we can go and sell to the unionist people.

"Until we know the detail of what we believe may be coming, we can’t even begin that journey.”

NOTE: Doug Beattie has since moved to clarify his position on the Protocol – you can read that here:

• Doug Beattie says Protocol interview comments were taken out of context and he does believe Union is damaged

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