Liz Truss: TUV leader opposed to general election over 'pro-EU Labour' fears

Speaking to the News Letter, the North Antrim MLA also highlighted what he views as the "rich irony" in calls from Westminster for the return of Stormont in light of the political instability in London.

"I think there's a rich irony, I have to say, in a Westminster government which insists on the unworkable system of mandatory coalition in Belfast yet can't even keep it together themselves," he said. "Maybe they need a little mandatory coalition in the Conservative Party."

He continued: "Instability at the heart of government is not good at any point, and quite clearly we're being launched into another spell of that within the Conservative Party. One would fear that the various things that the outgoing government committed to - maybe the Protocol Bill - will not be the commitments of whatever shade the new, incoming government is.

"It's a state of flux and instability and it does render rather precarious the lecturing of the Secretary of State and others about the need for stability at Stormont, and the need to get back into an unworkable system of government when they can't even work their own system of government."

Mr Allister continued: "If you were the EU, looking at the United Kingdom and the instability of this government, and looking forward perhaps to the return of a pro-EU Labour government then your temptation would be to simply hold out - and maybe get the whole UK back into their wretched single market and customs union. I think this dissipates the likelihood of the EU ever being serious under this government in dealing with the Protocol.”

Asked whether he would back calls for a General Election, Mr Allister replied: "I'm not in favour of ushering in what could be a pro-EU Labour government. The Conservatives, for all their implosions, still have a significant majority. They were elected to govern. I just wish they would get on with governing. That's a no."