DUP ‘united as never before’ over protocol - Fundamental issue was the “imposition of the EU law on Northern Ireland” - Lord Dodds

​In an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Lord Dodds said the fundamental issue was the "imposition of the EU law on Northern Ireland".

Asked what the mood was like in the camp ahead of the expected announcement of a deal having been struck between the EU and the UK, the former North Belfast MP and DUP deputy leader said: “We had a party executive meeting last Thursday night. It was entirely united.

"There was no dissent. I've never seen the party as united in its determination to see the objectives in terms of the protocol achieved, and united also in our determination that we will not be implementing the protocol in government. So if the protocol is still there, there can't be government in which we participate."

When asked if he thought that unionism will face an existential danger if the DUP backs down in its opposition to the protocol, Lord Dodds said: “If we give in on the protocol and allow a foreign entity to make our laws, that will over time increasingly diverge our economy and our laws from the rest of the UK.

"It will push us more and more and more into the orbit of the Irish Republic and the EU. We cannot allow this situation to develop."

The DUP peer criticised the government's decision to pause progress on the Protocol Bill during the latest phase of negotiations with the EU.

"We're very, very not just disappointed, but angry at the fact that the Government has stalled the Protocol Bill, which clearly they – Sunak, Truss and Johnson – all said it was British government policy,” he said.

"By failing to proceed with that – as they seem to be now adopting a position of simply making the current protocol work differently – hat's not going to suffice. Because they made pledges to people in Northern Ireland in the Command Paper of 2021 and in the Protocol Bill, that they would fundamentally restore democracy and sovereignty to the elected representatives of people in Northern Ireland."

He added: "If Sunak doesn't deliver what was promised in terms of the Protocol Bill… he will be deciding to cause the continuation of the impasse in Northern Ireland.”