Recall ‘shows how views of unionists are disregarded’

In a statement to members and supporters ahead of tomorrow’s recall of the Assembly, the DUP leader said non-unionist parties were merely “grandstanding” rather than resolving the real issue of why the institutions have not been restored.

Sir Jeffrey said: “The latest recall of the Assembly isn’t just a stunt, but one which demonstrates a wilful disregard for the views of unionists and the principle of power-sharing itself in Northern Ireland.

“The sitting hasn’t been called because there is a realistic prospect of electing a speaker. It’s been called because some parties prefer grandstanding in the Assembly chamber to engaging with unionists and resolving the problems which are holding up the full restoration of the Assembly and the Executive.”

He accused the pro-protocol parties of failing to advance any alternative to break the political impasse and having too much faith in Brussels.

“They tell us that they recognise the protocol’s problems yet have opposed every single proposal put forward to resolve them. They will tell us that the answer is yet more negotiations with the European Union yet sidestep the fact that the EU have refused to give their chief negotiator the mandate to negotiate on these very issues. Most fundamentally they will wilfully ignore that the Northern Ireland Protocol is fundamentally incompatible with the very agreement we were told it exists to protect.”

The DUP leader pointed out that only two months ago the late Lord Trimble had described the post-Brexit agreement as “the community-splitting protocol”, which “some parties were still championing” as they gather today at Stormont.