DUP leader hopeful of a 'comprehensive proposal' on restoration of Stormont within weeks

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said he hopes to have a “comprehensive proposal” on restoring Stormont he can put before his party within a “few weeks”.

As talks with the Westminster government continue, the DUP leader his party is united in its desire to the powersharing executive up and running again, but said “issues still need to be resolved”.

Sir Jeffrey said it was evident at the party’s conference in Belfast on Saturday that the return of Stormont is “the clear position of the party – the entire party”.

"We are a party of devolution,” he told Cool FM.

"Our successive manifestos have all talked about a functioning government in Northern Ireland being essential to the future of the Union, so that is something we are working to deliver.”

Commenting on the latest talks with the government, Sir Jeffrey said: “We have had more engagement with the government this week in London and we are continuing to focus on the issues that still need to be resolved, in relation to the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and how we are able to trade within the United Kingdom and its internal market, protecting the right of our businesses and consumers to access goods and to trade with the rest of the UK.

"So the talks continue and we are working to close the gaps.”

Sir Jeffrey added: "I am keeping my party up to date on how things are going, but there is still some way to go on this, so I don’t think it would be fair to categorise this as being in the latter stages.

"We will continue to work at this and hopefully over the next few weeks we will get to the point where we’ve got a comprehensive proposal to bring forward.”

Responding to concerns raised that the DUP was being put under pressure, from outside the party, not to return to Stormont, a DUP spokesperson referred the News Letter back to comments made by the party leader in his conference speech.

"(The DUP) will not be bullied or threatened by anyone, whomever they purport to represent.

"We will take our own counsel and our own decisions.

“As unionists we will always act in the best interests of Northern Ireland and never act to undermine the Union."