DUP MP Sammy Wilson: We’re more angry with Boris Johnson over Protocol than Covid parties

DUP MP Sammy Wilson says that the police and Tories will deal with Boris Johnson over pandemic parties - but that his party is far more angry about his failure to resolve the Northern Ireland Protocol.
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Asked if the DUP wanted Boris to go or whether the issue of pandemic parties had been overinflated, The East Antrim MP pointed to the NI Protocol.

“I think that first of all we have a far bigger gripe with him about how he let us down and told lies to us and has since been so slow in pushing for the situation in Northern Ireland to be remedied,” he told the News Letter.”If you are looking for something that is a travesty that is the biggest travesty.”

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He added: “If there is anything we are really angry about it is the way he treated Northern Ireland, the way he betrayed us, the way he lied to us, the way he dragged his feet in sorting out the problems which are affecting the economy and will in the long run affect our constitutional position.

DUP MP Sammy Wilson. 
Photo: Colm Lenaghan/PacemakerDUP MP Sammy Wilson. 
Photo: Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker
DUP MP Sammy Wilson. Photo: Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

“To me that is the thing that we ought to be focussing on. The police will deal with the parties and his own party will deal with him.”But we have a far bigger gripe with him. The parties thing will pass the Protocol will not. In fact it will become an even deeper problem for Northern Ireland.”

Mr Wilson felt that the Conservative Party is backing the Prime Minister for now.

“I think that probably for the minute he is safe enough. What happens when the police investigation is over, what happens if there is a really bad council election result?”What happens if Dominic Cummings comes out with more stuff that is damaging to the party? That could change the situation. But I think at the minute the conservatives are rallying around him.”

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However People Before Profit Councillor Shaun Harkin took a different view.

Boris Johnson should be out the door,” he said. “The Tory instinct of privilege, arrogance and elitism means he needs to be pushed.

“Massive people power protests on the streets of London and everywhere this fraud impacts are needed.

“Starmer and others in the political establishment won’t call for mass action to drive Johnson out - they fear a risen people as much as any other member of the British establishment.

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“Those in the Stormont Executive who are eager to point the finger at Johnson have enacted their own version of ‘one rule for us and another for the rest’ over the last two years.”

They have all backed imposing disgraceful Tory pay cuts on workers while prices soar, he added.

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